Savior
by encantadaa
Summary: A few bad decisions and unfortunate circumstances leave Kate Beckett, age 19, homeless just a few months after her mother's death. Richard Castle happens upon her in the park one day, not knowing he's just met his biggest fan.
1. Chapter 1

Central Park was beautiful in the summer. The grass was green, flowers were blooming, and most importantly, it was bustling with people, both New Yorkers and tourists alike. Richard Castle loved sitting in the park—he often found inspiration for characters in his mystery novels from a good afternoon of Central Park people-watching. This August afternoon, he found a bench near the Kennedy Reservoir and sat down, pulling his notebook and a pen out of his bag. He felt badly, having left his 6-year-old daughter Alexis with a babysitter, but Castle had been so busy trying to raise her that he hadn't written anything in eight months. Meredith, Alexis' mother, was never around, and Castle had been raising his daughter almost exclusively by himself since her birth. The publishers were demanding new material, and Castle's funds were slowly starting to disappear. He had to write, and he had no ideas. A few hours with a babysitter won't hurt, Castle thought to himself, trying to rationalize his decision.

Two teenage boys walked by, arguing loudly, and Castle followed them with his gaze as they walked past. He would have continued watching the boys, trying to eavesdrop on their fight, but she caught his attention instead, and his eyes froze on her. She was sitting on a bench across the path from him—how long had she been there? He hadn't even noticed her. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her long chestnut hair was falling in loose curls down her back, and her large hazel eyes flickered up to meet his for a second, then quickly darted to the ground. She couldn't be very old—late teens or early twenties, he guessed—and her T-shirt and jeans were dirty and worn, hanging loosely from her slender frame. She had a blue backpack sitting on the bench beside her, and a piece of cardboard propped up at her feet. Castle squinted to read it. "Homeless and jobless," it said in large print. "Please help." How was it possible for this young woman to be homeless so early in her life? Questions began to pop up in his mind: had her parents kicked her out? How long had she been homeless? Who was she?

Castle never talked to people in the park—he only watched—but curiosity got the better of him. He had to know this girl's story. He had a feeling she would make an excellent muse. He stood up, gathered his things, and crossed the path, coming to stand in front of the girl.

"Hi," Castle said brightly. She looked up at him, startled, eyes wide. "I'm Rick. May I sit with you?"

"Was your bench not good enough?" she asked quietly, eyes going back to the ground.

"Well, you know," Castle said, "they do say that the bench is always more comfortable on the other side."

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth for a moment, and she nodded silently, still not looking at him. She moved her backpack from the bench onto the ground beside her.

Castle sat down beside her, careful not to sit too close. He never had any trouble being friendly with women, but he could sense that this girl was different. He didn't want to make her feel scared or uncomfortable, and he had a feeling it would be easy to do it he wasn't careful. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Kate," she answered quietly, avoiding his gaze. "And I don't mean to be rude, but…" She paused, then raised her head to look at him. "Why are you talking to me?"

Her gaze was challenging, and the look in her beautiful hazel eyes bored a hole in his brain. She was defensive, and probably scared. Castle decided he was going to do everything he could to make her smile. "Because, Kate," he answered with as much charm as he could muster, "I was lonely, and I needed some company."

"You just got here five minutes ago," she said accusingly.

So she had been watching him before he'd seen her. Interesting, Castle thought. "You're right," he admitted. "I get lonely very quickly. I like to talk."

Kate sighed. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, returning her eyes to the ground. "It's just that…" Her face softened, brows furrowing. "I've sat here every day for three months now, and you're the first person to ever talk to me."

Castle was taken aback. "Are you serious?" he asked.

Kate nodded, running a hand through her hair. "Most people just don't even look at me. They act like I don't exist, just because I'm homeless. Some people give me a few coins or a couple of dollars every once in a while, but no one ever talks to me." She drew a shaky breath. "It just sucks, you know? I made a few stupid decisions, just like anyone else, and this was the consequence. I just feel so embarrassed. I used to be so…" She stopped, unable to speak anymore, and buried her face in her hands.

Castle placed a hand gently on her shoulder as she began to softly cry. Kate didn't allow herself to cry for very long, though. She soon raised her head, wiping her eyes. "Sorry about that," she said softly.

"Don't apologize. It's okay," Castle answered gently, thinking. He knew Kate needed more than just someone to talk to. She was a virtual stranger, yet he had a deep desire to take care of her. He'd never felt this way about someone so soon after meeting them. Come to think about it, he'd never felt this way about anyone before. Ever.

After a moment, Rick spoke. "Kate, I have a question." She looked up at him. "When's the last time you had a good meal?"

Kate lowered her eyes. "I just stay out here during the day," she said. "There's a shelter on 87th that I stay at every night—sometimes they don't have space, but I can usually get a cot if I'm there by 6:00 each night." She took a deep breath. "Anyway," she continued, "they serve dinner each night, so I had dinner last night."

Castle grinned. "Perhaps you misunderstood," he said. "When's the last time you had a _good_ meal?"

Kate giggled. "It's been a while," she answered, smiling shyly at him. "Shelter food isn't too good, but at least it's free."

Castle felt accomplished: he'd finally made Kate smile. He'd even gotten a laugh. She was the most charming woman he'd ever met, and she wasn't even trying to be. That's what was the most surprising to him- all of the other women he'd been with in his life, romantically or not, had been flashy and excitable, and he had charmed them with his good looks and riches. With Kate, though, it was the opposite: she was the one charming him, unintentionally, and he was falling hard. He knew he couldn't bear to leave her just yet. Besides, he thought, I still don't know her story.

"Tell you what," he said. "We both need something. You need lunch, and I need company so I don't get lonely again." Kate raised her eyebrows, almost admonishingly. "So why don't I treat you to lunch? I know of a great café not too far from here."

"Rick…" Kate sighed. "I mean, that's really nice of you, but… I don't want to be a burden. I'm fine."

"You could never be a burden," Castle responded. "It's my treat. I'll even carry your bag for you, if you want."

Kate shook her head firmly. "Bag stays with me," she stated, taking it in her hand. "But I guess I can keep you company for a while," she finished, grinning.

"Excellent!" Castle exclaimed. He offered his arm. "Shall we?" Kate took his arm, hesitantly at first, but fell into stride beside him easily as he led her to the café, where she would have her first delicious, hot meal in months.

* * *

><p>Kate kept a tight grip on her backpack. She'd stuffed it full of her most valuable possessions when she'd been evicted from her apartment in early May. The elephants came, of course, wrapped in a sweater for protection. They'd been her mother's, and she couldn't bear to leave them. A small figure made of sticks and twine rode in the front pocket, nestled inside an extra pair of socks. He was a memory of the last full day her dad had been sober—the day they'd laid mother to rest, just six months previously. Her father's instability and addiction to alcohol made it impossible for her to live with him, and it had been four months since she'd last seen him. She knew it wasn't his fault she was homeless, but she resented the fact that his addiction kept her from having a home after the eviction, and she resented herself for being powerless to help him in her current state.<p>

Among other various small items in the bag were three reasons Kate refused to let Castle carry it. Three books, all signed by their author, rode inside. She used to have every book he'd written, but only three were signed, so she'd chosen them to take with her, and had left the rest behind. They took up a lot of space in her backpack, but she didn't care. The books helped her get through her mom's murder initially, and for the past three months she'd read them during those long evenings at the shelter, devouring the words as if she were trying to fill a void in her heart and tracing over the sloping curves of his signature with her finger when she felt especially lonely. And now their author was saving her a third time. She owed this man so much, but had nothing to give.

"If he knew how big of a fan I really am, he might see me differently," Kate thought. He didn't seem like the type to just walk away, like everyone else did, but she was afraid that if she were just another fan to him, he'd not come back again after their lunch date. She had only just met him, and she couldn't risk having him leave so soon. So she kept her grip on the bag, determining to not let it out of her sight. Richard Castle was taking her to lunch, and she felt like she was floating among the clouds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: **_This is my first multi-chapter fic to do, and only the third fic I've ever written, and I'm amazed at how many views and follows I've gotten on it in such a short time! Please feel free to review it- reviews are actually very helpful to me, and I can improve my story based on them._

* * *

><p>"So tell me about yourself," Kate said as they exited the park. She was trying to sound casual, despite the fact that her heart was racing, and her stomach felt as though a million butterflies were flying inside of it. Richard Castle was walking beside her, arm in arm. Richard Castle was leading her through the busy streets of Manhattan. Richard Castle was taking her to lunch. Richard Castle, her idol, her hero.<p>

"I'm a mystery writer," Castle said, interrupting Kate's silent fangirling. "I've written several novels. Do you read mystery novels?"

"I'm a fan of the genre," Kate said as nonchalantly as she could.

"Maybe you've read some of mine, then?" Castle asked as they crossed a street. "'_In a Hail of Bullets'_? _'Death of a Prom Queen'_? '_Flowers for your Grave'_?"

He had just named the exact three books hiding in Kate's backpack. She tried not to panic—of course he hadn't looked in her bag. Be calm, Kate.

"_Flowers for your Grave'_ sounds familiar," she said slowly, trying not to let her voice give too much away. "I think I may have read that one before… what's your last name?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Castle," he answered. "Richard Castle."

"Yeah, that does sound kind of familiar," Kate said as casually as she could. "I probably checked it out from the library once."

"So you're a reader, huh?" Castle asked, leading her down the sidewalk.

"Yeah," Kate answered confidently. "Books, plays, poetry—I read it all." There—her first true statement in this entire conversation. That wasn't so hard, was it?

"Wonderful!" Castle exclaimed, skipping a bit as they walked. He looked as excited as a kid on Christmas morning, and Kate had to suppress a giggle. "You'll have to come visit my loft. I have hundreds of books. I'll let you borrow some, if you'd like."

Kate's heart skipped a beat. Had he really just invited her over? She couldn't do this. She was trying to figure out how to respond when Castle stopped walking. She looked up to see where they were, and was stunned.

"Café Lalo? Are you serious?" Kate asked excitedly.

"It's the best," Castle answered proudly. "And it was only a few blocks away."

"It's expensive, though. If you want to go somewhere else…"

"Nonsense," Castle replied. "Only the best for you. Shall we?" He released her arm and opened the door, holding it for Kate to walk through. She mumbled her thanks as he passed by her, leading them to the host, who seated them in a cozy corner booth. After ordering food and drinks—a fruit-topped Belgian waffle and water for Kate, and a tuna salad sandwich and root beer for Castle—he began to speak again.

"I live in SoHo with my six-year-old daughter, Alexis," he said, pulling a picture out of his wallet. Kate took it, smiling at the adorable redheaded child grinning toothlessly. "She's beautiful," Kate said sincerely, handing the picture back.

"I think so, too," Castle smiled, "but I'm biased." He returned the picture to his wallet. "That was her school photo for this year. You know why she's smiling like that? She had lost both of her front teeth, and she was so self-conscious about it that she didn't even want to show up to school for picture day. We spent the entire evening before practicing smiling without showing teeth. When I picked her up that next day," he continued, "she said that she'd smiled just like I told her to, and it worked. She said it made her feel more grown-up. She said, 'Dad, when I smile without my teeth, I feel like I could be seven years old!'"

"She sounds like a handful," Kate smiled.

"She is," Castle said proudly. "She insists on calling me 'dad' because according to her, 'daddy' is what kindergarteners say. Oh, I could talk about her all day long. But I've talked enough, Kate," Castle said as their drinks were delivered. "Tell me about you." He folded his hands under his chin and leaned forward, looking at her.

Kate took a nervous breath. "Well…" she started. She was embarrassed to talk about her life in its current state. "I'm afraid my life isn't nearly as interesting as yours."

"Come on," Castle encouraged. "I know there's got to be more to you than just the girl who sits on the bench every day."

"There used to be," Kate sighed. "But that's pretty much all I do these days."

"Then let's start with the basics," Castle said with a grin. "All I know about you is that your name is Kate, and you make a bench look pretty good."

Kate felt her face flush. Oh no. He was flirting. She couldn't handle this. She had to try to act uninterested. "It's Kate _Beckett_," she said, a bit more harshly than she meant to.

Castle looked amused. "Beckett," he said, imitating her overly –enunciated consonants. Kate blushed again. She hadn't meant to say it that way. "So tell me, _Beckett_," Castle continued, "how old are you?"

Two could play this game. "Well, _Castle_," she retorted, "I'm nineteen. But I'll be twenty in November," she quickly added, after seeing the surprised look on Castle's face.

"No, Kate, your age isn't a problem," Castle said. "It's just… I'm curious as to… how…" He looked flummoxed. "Why are you…"

"Why am I homeless?" Kate finished.

Castle nodded, blue eyes wide, leaning forward again. God, he was so hot. And he was clearly interested in her, too. For a moment, she wondered if his interest was only for her story, but she mentally scolded herself. Stop overthinking things, Kate.

Thankfully, their food was delivered right at that moment, so Kate had time to collect her thoughts. She took a bite of her waffle and was immediately overcome by the delicious flavors. She closed her eyes, chewing slowly to savor the flavor for as long as possible.

"You look like you've died and gone to heaven," Castle laughed.

Kate swallowed, then smiled widely. "That was the best thing I've eaten in my life!" she declared happily, hastily scooping another bite onto her fork. She noticed Castle laughing at her as she put the second bite in her mouth, but she didn't care.

"Try not to enjoy it quite so much," Castle said, smiling.

After they'd finished their food and had shared a piece of chocolate cake, Castle folded his hands under chin again. "Well, Miss Beckett," he said. "This was wonderful, but I still don't know your story."

Kate sighed. Clearly, he wasn't going to let her off the hook. She hated having to admit her mistakes to people, but she might as well tell him. She took a deep breath.

"My mom died back in January," Kate said quietly, not meeting his eyes. "My dad took it really hard. He started drinking, and I couldn't live with him anymore. He was too unstable. So I moved out of my parents' apartment and moved in with a couple of college friends. I just finished my first year of pre-law at Stanford." She looked up and noticed that the look in Castle's eyes had changed. He was still looking at her with interest, but his gaze was softer. He nodded, and she felt encouraged to continue.

"So I lived with my friends for a couple of months, but then I moved in with my boyfriend—well, my ex-boyfriend. Rogan." Kate shuddered. "He was really charming at first, and I really liked him. We went on a weekend trip to Vegas as soon as school got out in early May."

She looked down again. "But he had… issues. He gambled most of the time we were there. He was old enough to enter the casinos, but I wasn't, so he'd go gamble while I did other stuff. He told me he was winning a lot, but that was a lie. He lost everything." Kate closed her eyes—this is the part she was most embarrassed about.

"And I'm the idiot who let him convince me to get a joint back account with him, since we were sharing a place. He gambled away all of my money. It's all gone."

She heard Castle breathe in sharply, but ignored him. "I broke up with him as soon as I found out what he'd done. We couldn't pay rent, so we got evicted. He went to go live with some of his friends, and I refused to go with him. My friends that I'd lived with before weren't from New York and had gone home to live with their parents for the summer. My dad's in and out of rehab, and I can't live with him. I don't have a job, so I can't afford to get my own place. So here I am," she finished lamely, hanging her head.

Castle was silent for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was full of compassion. "Kate," he said gently, reaching across the table to take one of her hands in his. "I am so sorry."

Kate shook her head, willing herself not to cry. "Don't be," she said. "I brought it on myself. All of this was my fault."

"No, Kate," Castle said gently, but emphatically. "None of this was your fault."

He was wrong. It was all her fault. Kate could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She pulled her hand out of Castle's and wiped her eyes. "But if I hadn't joined my back account with Rogan's…" she started.

"Kate, you had no one guiding you. You're young. You didn't know it was a bad idea, and it sounds like you had no one able to give you advice. Everyone makes poor decisions when they're young," Castle said.

"Except most people's bad decisions don't land them with an empty bank account and a bench in the park," Kate replied bitterly.

"Everyone's consequences are different, Kate," Castle said gently. "This wasn't your..."

"You don't get it, do you?" Kate interrupted, hitting her fist on the table. She was angry, and she didn't know why. "My dad's an alcoholic. He hasn't been sober in _months_. I could have tried to help more than I did. But I gave up. I left. He could be better if I'd actually done something. But you know what I did? Nothing. It's my fault that he isn't sober." She felt a fresh wave of tears welling up in her eyes, but she ignored them.

"And my mom," she continued, her voice getting louder. "My mom was murdered, Castle. Stabbed in an alley and left to bleed out and die. Alone." The tears began to spill out of her eyes. Castle started to speak, but she interrupted. "She was supposed to meet my dad and me for dinner, but she never showed up. You know what we did? We just sat there and waited. I never worried about her, or called the police, or anything. If I had just sent someone to look for her, they could have found her. She could still be alive. But I did nothing. _Nothing_. And now she's gone." She looked at him, tears streaming down her face, silently challenging him to contradict her.

"Kate…" he started. She noticed the genuine compassion in his eyes, and she hated him for it. "I've only known you for a little over an hour, and I think that you're an amazing girl." Kate wiped a few tears from her eyes. "But you're not superwoman," he continued. "There are some things that are out of your control, and what happened with your parents is one of them. Nothing you could have done would have changed what happened. I know you're hurting, but blaming yourself for things that weren't your fault is only going to make things worse."

Kate stood up. "Don't pretend you know me, _Castle_," she said, putting emphasis on his last name. "Because you don't." He looked hurt. Good. She wanted to hurt him. He had been so nice to her the past hour, but he saw too deep into her soul, and she couldn't handle what he was trying to tell her. So she did the only thing she knew to do: she picked up her backpack, and she ran.

* * *

><p>Castle chased her out the front doors, but she'd gotten too much of a head start. There were hundreds of people walking along the busy street, and she must have melted in with the crowd. He stood outside of the café, frantically calling her name, but he didn't see her. She was gone, and he didn't have time to search for her—he'd given the sitter a deadline, and it was rapidly approaching. His heart sank. He walked back inside the restaurant and found his way back to the booth that he'd shared with Kate just moments earlier. He laid a fifty dollar bill on the table, then slowly exited the café. He felt as though a bright light in his heart had just been dimmed. She was gone. Millions of people lived in the city. How was he ever going to find the only one he was seeking?<p>

Then it came to him: the shelter on 87th. She said she was usually there by six each night. That's how he'd find her. He hailed a cab, asking for "the homeless shelter on 87th." Thankfully, the cabbie was familiar with the location, and in no time, Castle found himself at the front doors of Kate's safe haven. The woman at the reception desk knew exactly which young lady he was talking about, and after giving her his business card, he had a promise of a phone call as soon as Kate stepped through the doors.

He wasn't going to lose her. Not after he'd just found her.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note #2: <strong>_Nobody likes Rogan, I know. But __I was amazed at how easily he fit into my storyline, so I decided he could be of use. But since this is an AU, I figured I might as well edit out the "they got married" storyline. Because I'm the author, and I can. So no spontaneous marriage between Rogan and Kate happened. No worries. :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Kate had taken a left out of the café, sprinting down the crowded sidewalk as quickly as she could. She wanted to put as much distance as possible between herself and Rick Castle. She ran blindly, with tears clouding her vision and sobs threatening to burst from her body. But she couldn't break down. Not yet.

A sign for a hotel came into view, and Kate ran toward it, ducking into the hotel's main lobby. She looked around until she spotted the restroom, and after hurrying into it, she locked herself in the stall furthest from the door. Kate lowered the lid of the toilet and sat, bringing her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs. Her forehead fell to her knees, and the tears began to fall.

Castle had done nothing wrong, but the feelings that his words evoked were feelings she'd been suppressing for so long. It was all so fresh, and his words had rubbed the already raw patches on her heart. Instead of letting the truth of his words comfort her, she ran away, because she couldn't handle the pain. And now she may never see him again.

Oh, God, what had she done?

* * *

><p>The call came at 5:52 that evening. Kate had arrived at the shelter. Rick quickly dropped Alexis off with the neighbors, citing an emergency and promising to return soon, and hailed a cab. The streets were congested with traffic, and it took much longer to get to the shelter than he'd anticipated. It was 6:48 when he finally walked through the front doors. He hurried to the front desk. "Is she here?" he asked the receptionist.<p>

"Yeah, she's still here," the woman replied. "Didn't want dinner. She just went straight to a cot. She seemed real upset about something." She nodded toward a door to her left. Rick thanked the woman and quickly walked over to the door, opening it quietly.

The room was large and windowless. The white paint on the walls was beginning to peel, and the tile floor looked as though it hadn't been mopped in a long time. There were about forty cots with thin pillows and ragged quilts in the room, and each cot's occupant turned their head to see who had just opened the door.

Each occupant, that is, except for the one in the far left corner. She was curled up on her side on her cot, arms covering her face, unmoving. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders, and her slim body was trembling.

Rick began moving toward her. When he reached her, he sat down on the edge of the cot, near her feet, without speaking. She gave no acknowledgement of his presence. He decided it would be best not to say anything, but to wait for Kate to speak first. He didn't know what he'd done to make her react the way she did earlier, but he didn't want it to happen again.

He glanced down at the floor, noting her open backpack on the ground. Curiosity got the better of him, and he leaned forward, glancing inside. He could see the tops of three books, lined up carefully together and placed in the center of the backpack. So she really was a reader. He reached down, about to pull one of the books out, when Kate's voice stopped him.

"I told you, I don't want to talk about it, Connie," she said, her voice quiet and muffled.

Rick straightened, turning toward her again. "I'm not Connie," he said quietly.

Kate took a sharp breath in and froze. Neither of them spoke for a long time. Finally, Kate broke the silence.

"Go away, Castle." Her voice was so quiet that he could hardly hear it.

He sighed. "I will," he promised. "But there are a few things I'd like to say first."

Kate slowly exhaled, and Rick decided to take it as a cue to continue.

"I came here to apologize," he said gently. "I don't know what I said, Kate, but I know that I hurt you. And that's the last thing on earth that I wanted to do. I'm very sorry." Kate sniffed, still not moving.

"You were right, Kate: I don't know you," he continued. "But I want to." He took a deep breath. "You are a remarkable young woman, and you did not deserve anything that happened to you. Including whatever I did to hurt you." Two sniffs this time, but still no response from Kate.

"I'm sorry, Kate, and I hope you'll forgive me." It wasn't easy for Rick to apologize, but if that's what it would take to win Kate back, he'd do it.

A full thirty seconds passed before Kate responded. "So why else are you here?" she asked bitterly, her voice quiet and shaky.

Rick was amused. She saw right through him. "Okay, I admit, apologizing isn't the only reason I came here," he said. "I have a favor to ask of you." Kate shifted slightly, but gave no response. "My regular sitter is leaving tomorrow to go to college in Boston, and I've used her for the past four years. I don't really have anyone else, and I've procrastinated finding a new sitter. Alexis is a very well-behaved and sweet little girl, if I do say so myself, and I need a sitter from time to time. Now that I don't have one… well, Kate, what I'm trying to say is, would you like a job?"

That got Kate's attention. She moved her arms off of her face and raised her head slightly, staring at him. "I don't need charity, Castle." Her voice was soft, but filled with anger.

Rick sighed. Why was she being so defensive? "It's not charity, Kate!" he retorted, a bit louder than he meant to. Several of the people in the room turned to look at him. Damn it. Kate was staring at him, eyes wide.

"What I mean," he said sheepishly, much quieter, "is this: we both need something. You need a job, and I need a babysitter." Kate raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Really, Kate, I do!" he said defensively. "Alexis starts school in a couple of weeks, and she's too little to get there by herself. Rachel, my old sitter, would always walk her to and from school. There are other times I need a sitter, too. Like tomorrow night, actually. My mother's one of the leads in an off-Broadway play, and tomorrow's opening night. I promised her I'd go, but the play isn't appropriate for kids, so I can't bring Alexis. If I don't find someone to watch her, I'm not going to be able to go. I'm really in a bind here."

Kate eyed him suspiciously. She obviously didn't believe him.

"I saw the way you lit up when I showed you her picture, Kate," Rick continued. "That was genuine. I can tell you like kids. And I know I don't know you very well yet, but I can tell that you're trustworthy. My daughter would be in good hands with you, and I don't say that to very many people."

Kate stared at him for a moment, and he hoped that she could tell that he was being genuine. He really did need a sitter, but he also would have done almost anything to try to keep Kate in his life. Finally, Kate lowered her eyes.

"I'll think about it," she said quietly.

He wasn't going to be able to break her—she was too stubborn. So that would have to be good enough for now, Castle supposed. He stood up and turned to face Kate, who was still curled up on her side on the cot, and pulled out his wallet. "I'm going to give you my business card," he said, taking one out and placing it by her feet. "It has my phone number on it. If you decide to accept my offer, give me a call. I have to leave at 5:00 tomorrow, so if I don't hear from you by 3:30, I'll start trying to find someone else. Here are some quarters so you can use a payphone," he said, placing four quarters on top of the business card. "The card also has my address, so you can know where to come. And I'll take care of cab fees for you until you build up some savings, so don't worry about that," he added.

Kate still didn't move or look at him. The girl was stubborn, he'd give her that. He was just about to give up when he remembered the gift he'd bought for Kate on his way home. He'd almost forgotten about it. Rick pulled a single rose out of the inside pocket of his jacket, where it had been hiding for the duration of their conversation, and laid it beside the business card.

"I really am sorry, Kate," he said gently.

Kate's eyes darted quickly to the rose, then to his face. She met his eyes for a just a moment, then lowered them. She shifted her position slightly as Rick turned to walk away. He was halfway across the room when he heard her voice.

"Castle," she called.

He turned around. Kate was sitting cross-legged on her cot, the rose in her hand. "See you tomorrow," she said with a small nod. He thought he saw a hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth.

He nodded back, trying to contain his elation, and turned to continue his trek out of the room. As soon as Rick re-entered the lobby and shut the door to the cot room, he let himself celebrate. "YES!" he shouted joyfully, pumping his fist in the air.

The receptionist gave him an odd look. "I take it you had a good conversation?" she asked hesitantly.

"That we did, ma'am," he replied happily, a wide smile on his face.

On his cab ride home, Rick couldn't get Kate out of his mind. _She calls me "Castle,"_ he thought with a smile, shaking his head. Ever since their conversation in the café, she'd called him by his last name, rather than his first. Maybe that was her way of showing that she was still mad, or that she wasn't ready to trust him. He wasn't sure, but he hoped she'd start using his first name again, and soon. Clearly, he'd pushed too hard earlier, and he was going to have to back off if he wanted to keep her around. Their conversations would have to stay light-hearted and causal. He was an expert at that kind of conversation.

The girl was a mystery that he wanted to devote his time to solving. How anyone could go from being a successful, brilliant pre-law student to living on the streets in a matter of months was beyond perplexing to him, not to mention completely unfortunate. No, 'unfortunate' wasn't the right word—it was just terrible. She was so embarrassed about the way she was living now, and even more embarrassed because she believed that everything that had happened to her was her own fault. Kate had so much potential, though. Even the age of nineteen, she had the confidence and grace of a model, but the brains of a lawyer and the quick wit of a cop.

A cop. That's what Rick imagined her becoming when she "grew up"—not a lawyer. In the small amount of time he'd known her, he could tell she was both passionate and compassionate, not to mention intelligent and driven. All of those traits would make her an excellent cop, or even a detective.

Her mother was murdered. How awful. Rick had wanted to ask her if there had been any investigation into the case, or if there were any leads on a suspect, but it clearly hurt her too much to talk about it. The pain was too fresh. Maybe that's why she had reacted the way she did earlier—not out of anger, but out of pain. Either way, he wouldn't bring it up again for a long time. He'd have to see if he could find the woman's name—the last name was probably Beckett—and find which precinct and court was dealing with her case. He was friends with a long-time local judge, and it would be pure luck if Kate's mother's case was in this judge's precinct. He hoped it would be. Maybe he'd be able to get some case details. He knew that as much as he wanted Kate's mother's murderer to be brought to justice, she wanted it more. Kate was beating herself up and even blaming herself because she couldn't do anything about it—she couldn't stop it when it happened, and she couldn't solve it now.

The Kate he knew now was different than the Kate he imagined. He saw her as a superstar detective, solving crimes and giving killers the justice they deserved. If she couldn't do it for her mother, at least she could do it for others. And maybe someday, she'd be able to solve her mother's case. Hopefully, he could help her do it.

As soon as Alexis was in bed that evening, he sat down at his desktop computer and began to write a new novel. His story's main character was a detective that was posing undercover as a homeless woman in the streets of Manhattan. Her cover allowed her to investigate murders and solve crimes. She was smart, really good at her job, and had haunting good looks—in fact, she was practically Superwoman. Her name was Nikki Heat.

* * *

><p>Kate heard Castle's shouts of joy after he left the room and giggled. He must not have realized how easily sounds from the lobby filtered into the cot room. She leaned back against the wall, ignoring the stares of all of the other people in the room, and gently stroked the velvet petals of the rose he'd given her. She'd been a jerk, and she knew it, but her stubbornness and pride kept her from admitting it to him. <em>You're an idiot, Kate<em>, she thought. Accepting his offer was her way of apologizing, and she hoped he'd realized that.

She had a job. A real job. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief and set the rose down gently at the end of her cot. She reached down to her backpack and pulled out _Flowers for your Grave_. This was the only book he had signed after her mother's death. She'd gone to the book signing alone that day in early March, not wanting her friends to know how Richard Castle's books had saved her. They'd think it was silly. At the signing, Castle had seen the sadness in her eyes, and although neither of them mentioned it during their thirty-second conversation, he had been gentle and sweet—much different than the two previous book signings she'd attended. He'd been almost flirtatious with her the other two times, just like he was with every other woman present. Kate opened the book to the title page, reading his writing for the thousandth time:

"To Kate: Smile! You are extraordinary. Richard Castle"

Although the message was short, it was powerful. In the other two books he'd signed for her, he'd written just his name, without a message. And, as far as she could tell, that's all he'd done for the other people that had been in line in front of her that day. Even though he probably didn't remember her from that book signing, maybe, Kate thought, just maybe, he actually did care.

She smiled. Tomorrow. She'd get to see Rick again tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>_Thanks for reading! Please send your reviews in- they're very helpful to me. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

Kate groggily opened her eyes and checked her watch. It was 6:02 AM. She'd been awoken by a loud conversation between two women not too far from her cot. She sighed. Didn't they know that everyone else in the room was trying to sleep? She closed her eyes again, not wanting to get out of bed just yet, but her eyes jolted open when she heard her name. They were talking about her.

"You said he gave Kate a rose?" the first voice asked.

"Yes!" a second voice replied. "And I'm telling you, he looks like he could be thirty. Kate's only nineteen. That just ain't right. "

Kate immediately recognized the second voice as Connie's. The middle-aged woman was kind and often matronly, but liked to make sure she knew the business of all of the shelter regulars. She loved to gossip, and once you'd told her something, Connie made sure everyone at the shelter knew about it. Kate made a mental note not to tell Connie any more details than she had to about her encounter with Rick. She was afraid of what the reactions of the other homeless might be if they found out she'd been offered a job.

Kate glanced down at her backpack on the floor. The rose was sitting on top of it, the deep red petals contrasting against the bag's dark blue hue. She smiled, recalling the events of the previous night. She couldn't believe her luck. Richard Castle, for whatever reason, had chosen her. Even though she ran, he searched for her and came back for her. And he'd brought her a rose.

Kate picked it up, stroking its velvet petals again. The rose was beautiful, but a homeless girl like herself had no use for it. She knew someone who needed it, though.

* * *

><p>The sky was clear and blue this morning, and the sun was illuminating the lush green grass. A slight breeze was blowing, causing the leaves on the trees to rustle. How strange that a place so full of sorrow could be so beautiful, Kate thought as she picked her way carefully through the tombstones. She hadn't been back to the cemetery since her mom's funeral, but the images from that day were burned permanently into her brain. She remembered exactly where Johanna Beckett's grave was.<p>

After a few more turns, Kate found herself standing at the foot of her mother's final resting place. There were no flowers beside her mother's tombstone, and Kate felt a stab of guilt. Clearly, her dad hadn't come to visit, and neither had Kate. All of the other graves nearby had a flower arrangement of some sort, but Johanna's was bare.

The mound of earth covering her casket was still fresh, but a few blades of grass had begun to grow from it. How ironic, Kate thought. Life growing over death. She sat down on the grass by the end of the grave, reaching out to place her palm on the damp pile of earth. "Hi, mom," she whispered. A couple of tears escaped from her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away, smearing dirt on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry I haven't come to visit," Kate started, her voice shaking. "It's just…" she paused, taking a deep breath. "I couldn't. It hurt too much." She began to speak quicker, voice growing gradually louder. "And I know that's stupid, because it's not your fault, and it's just me being silly, but I just miss you so much mom, and I wish you were still here, and everything has changed and it's so different and my life's just a mess, and I…" Kate paused, drawing a deep breath. "How am I supposed to do this without you, mom?" The tears began to flow, and Kate let herself cry for several minutes.

Finally, Kate sat up, wiped her eyes, and sniffled. "Thanks for listening," she said with a half-smile. She took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry your grave is so bare. I wish I could give you all the flowers in the world, because you deserve them. But I can't afford it. I can't even afford to buy you one flower," Kate said sorrowfully, wiping away another tear.

"But this rose," Kate continued, picking up the flower Castle had given her, "was given to me last night. It's just a simple flower, but it means so much to me," Kate said, tears beginning to fall again. "It represents forgiveness, trust… and hope. That makes it worth just as much as all of the roses in the entire world." She sniffed.

"I'm leaving it here with you, mom. I know how much you liked roses, and how you always talked about wanting to have your own rose garden in our apartment… it's not a rose garden, I know. But I hope you'll forgive me, mom. I love you so much. And maybe there's hope that things will start looking up for me. For both of us."

She kissed the petals of the rose, then laid it gently at the base of her mother's tombstone. _Flowers for your Grave_, Kate thought bitterly. _How appropriate. _

Kate reached under her shirt collar and pulled out the chain she always wore around her neck. Her mother's wedding ring dangled from it, and she began toying with it. She wished there had been something she could have done to stop her mother from dying. She'd spent months analyzing all of the "if onlys," and all it had done was make her feel worse. But Castle was right: there was nothing Kate could have done to change what happened. Even though she couldn't fix the past, she realized with a start that there was something she could do to bring closure, for herself and for her mom.

Kate placed her hand on the mound of dirt. "I will find who did this to you, mom," she vowed, her voice strong. "I will bring your killer to justice. I promise. I won't let you down again." She'd make it her mission. Whatever it took to solve her mother's case, she'd do it.

Kate walked out of the cemetery, head high and eyes bright. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and she had a mission. Her mom had taught her that even in the worst times, there was a possibility for joy. Kate embraced the statement. Things were finally starting to look up.

* * *

><p>Her visit to the cemetery had left Kate's body and clothing dirt-streaked, and she badly needed to clean up. The shelter had showers, but it was already 8:30 AM, which meant the shelter was closed for the next several hours. She knew of a nearby gym, though, and walked there, hoping for a shower.<p>

The gym's receptionist was initially wary of the presence of a homeless woman, but when Kate explained that she had a job that evening and needed to look her best, the receptionist's face softened. "Of course, dear," the woman said sweetly. "I understand. Anything to help you get back on your feet again." The receptionist provided shampoo, soap, and a towel, and Kate thanked her graciously as she made her way to the showers.

She exited the gym twenty minutes later, feeling clean and refreshed. After her shower, she'd put on her extra T-shirt, undies, and socks that she kept in her backpack. Even though she was still wearing the same jeans, she felt cleaner than she had in a long time. Her hair was drying into loose, frizzy curls, just like her mom's always had. What I wouldn't do for a hair dryer, Kate thought. She usually didn't care too much about her appearance, but she wanted to look her best today.

"Hey, watch it!" a man shouted. Kate looked up with a start. She'd nearly walked right into someone.

"Sorry," she muttered. She looked around, suddenly realizing she'd been wondering through the busy streets of Manhattan for quite some time without paying attention. She had no idea where she was. Great, Kate thought. She'd grown up in Manhattan, but there were several parts of the city she still didn't know. She'd wonder around some more, trying to find a place she recognized, and get herself back on track. It was only 9:30—she still had plenty of time before she had to be at the Castle's apartment.

Kate spotted a bench and made her way to it, sitting down on the hard metal. She pulled her backpack into her lap and unzipped the front pocket, digging around until her fingers found what they sought—Castle's business card. He told her that he lived in SoHo, which was about six and a half miles away. The business card listed his address as 425 Broome Street. That area was unfamiliar to Kate, so she'd have to ask for directions to Broome Street once she got to SoHo. She'd better start walking over there now—who knows how long it would take. Rick had offered to take care of cab fees, but she had nothing better to do today. She might as well just walk.

But first, she had to figure out where she was. Kate sighed, replacing the business card in her backpack's front pocket. As she did, her fingers touched something cold and metallic. _The quarters. _She'd nearly forgotten about them. Rick's intention was for her to use them to call him on a payphone, but since she had accepted the job in person, phoning him wasn't necessary anymore. Maybe she could still use them, though.

She spotted a pay phone near an intersection across the street and hurried to it. She inserted one of the quarters and dialed the one number she knew by heart. The phone began to ring. _Please answer_, she thought. However, after five rings, the answering machine picked up. Kate's heart sank, knowing what she was about to hear.

"You've reached the Becketts," came a pleasant voice. Her mother's voice. Tears sprang to Kate's eyes. "We can't come to the phone right now, so please leave a message, and we'll call you back soon!"

The machine beeped, and Kate drew a shaky breath. "Hey mom—I, I mean dad," Kate faltered. "I just wanted to call you and see how you were doing. I guess you're not home," she said. _Or maybe he is home, but he's drunk and passed out_, she thought bitterly. "I'll call you back some time. I love you." She slowly replaced the phone, wiping the tears from her eyes.

The sound of her mother's voice on the answering machine was just as much of a shock as it was the last time she'd called, three months ago. "The Becketts," her mom had said. It felt like so long ago that they'd been the Becketts. So much had changed over the past six months.

She had three more quarters. That meant three more chances to call him. Maybe she couldn't have saved her mom's life, but it wasn't too late to try to save her dad's.

Kate turned away from the phone booth and began walking, hoping to figure out where she was. After a few turned corners, she finally found a building that she recognized. She oriented herself with her location, knowing that she'd need to go south to get to SoHo, and began the long walk.

Six and a half miles later, Kate arrived on Crosby Street in SoHo, fatigued and perspiring. The cloudless sky had caused the sun to shine down on her the entire way, and she was ready for a comfortable chair and a large glass of water. She spotted a restaurant across the street that didn't look too glitzy, unlike most of the places around here, and ducked in, hoping for a glass of water and directions to Broome Street. Unfortunately, water wasn't free, but directions were.

"Oh, you're not too far at all," the host told her. "Head that way"—he gestured—"for four blocks, and you'll hit Broome." Kate thanked him and exited the restaurant, beginning to walk in the direction that he'd pointed. In no time, she found herself standing at the intersection of Crosby and Broome. She searched for the nearest street number, locating one on the building just to her right. By pure luck, Kate had arrived at 424 Broome Street. That was almost exactly where she needed to be.

"So 425 must be right across the street," Kate thought, looking at the building facing her. It had five floors, with large windows decorating its deep brown exterior. It looked modest enough. "It must be really nice on the inside for someone like Castle to live here," she thought as she crossed the street. She quickly found the building's number and verified that she was at the correct address.

"So this is Richard Castle's home," she thought, glancing at her watch. Damn. It was only noon. Leave it to Kate to arrive five hours early.

Now what?

She was standing awkwardly in front of the apartment building, trying to decide what to do, when she heard her name.

"Kate! I thought that was you I saw out the window! What are you doing here so early?" Her face flushed. It was him.

"I… uh…" she stammered as she turned to face Castle.

"Oh, it's fine!" he said happily, glancing at his watch. "My previous sitter arrived five hours early all the time. Well, come to think of it," Rick continued, "she only arrived four hours early the last time. So you're already a step ahead of her." He smirked, and Kate couldn't help but grin. He was joking with her, and clearly not holding yesterday's events against her. Thank God.

"Why don't you come in?" he asked. "We were just about to have lunch. Alexis can't wait to meet you," he finished, gesturing up toward the windows. From the center window on the fourth floor, a small red-headed figure could be seen, watching their every move. Kate would have declined, not wanting to impose, but if Alexis knew she was already here…

"Sure," Kate answered, smiling hesitantly.

"Excellent!" Rick exclaimed, leading her toward the building's front door. "I hope you don't mind, but today's lunch menu isn't too glamorous. _Chez Castle_ will be serving grilled cheese sandwiches and apple slices."

"That sounds perfect," Kate replied with a sincere smile as Castle held the door open for her.

Anything would have been perfect. She was about to get a second chance at lunch with Richard Castle, and she wouldn't screw it up this time.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>_That chapter hurt. I actually teared up a bit writing the cemetery scene. I wanted to explore the moments that Kate decided to avenge her mom's murder and to save her dad's life. I'm not sure I did them justice, but I hope I did._

_Thanks to my wonderful helpers thebazilelord, who speaks for Castle, and Trinity Everett, who helps my nonsense make sense. Both are excellent writers. Please check out their accounts and stories on here._

_A fun note: go look up 425 Broome Street, NYC on Google Maps street view. You'll like what you see._

_As always, thank you for reading, and thanks in advance for your reviews. I read each one of them and take your words into consideration._


	5. Chapter 5

Kate was quiet as they walked down the hallway toward the apartment's front door. Rick had been trying to make conversation from the moment they entered the building, but Kate's only responses had been a nod or a quiet "mmhmm," and she seemed to be avoiding looking at him. He was having trouble reading her emotions—she didn't seem upset or angry, like she had been yesterday, but there was definitely something going on. She was probably just nervous about the job, and his attempts at humor clearly weren't working.

This was strange. Castle could always make girls laugh and smile, but not Kate. He'd only ever gotten a few shy smiles and one small giggle from her, but her laugh had made his heart skip a beat, and every smile had made his heart melt. No one had ever had that effect on him before. The reason her smiles were rare was probably because of all that had happened in her life so far this year. He knew there was little that he could do to stave away her sadness, but if he could make her smile, even just for a moment, his efforts would be worth it.

For the moment, though, if Kate really was nervous, though, he had no doubt that Alexis would quickly put her at ease.

"Well, here we are," he announced cheerfully as they arrived at his front door. He opened it, ushering Kate in as he called for Alexis. The child was in an adjacent room, and he heard her running to the door, chattering the whole way.

"Hey, Dad! That took so long! Did you find her? Was that her out- oh…" she trailed off as she rounded the corner, stopping when she saw Kate.

Castle chuckled. Alexis was usually shy with strangers. He had talked about Kate with Alexis numerous times this morning, hoping to ward off the shyness, but it hadn't worked. Alexis quickly crept over to him and wrapped her arms around his left leg, peering at Kate from behind her father.

"Alexis, this is Kate," Castle said. "Why don't you say hi, sweetheart?"

Alexis buried her face in her father's leg as an answer. Castle placed his palm on Alexis' shoulder and looked at Kate helplessly, shrugging. Kate, however, wasn't paying any attention to him. She was kneeling down in front of Rick, peeking around his leg at Alexis.

"Hi, Alexis," she said gently. "I'm Kate. It's very nice to meet you."

Alexis peeked out shyly from behind her father's leg, and Castle took the opportunity to gently nudge her forward. "Hi. I'm Alexis Harper Castle," she said quietly, holding out her right hand.

Kate smiled warmly. "That's a pretty name," she said encouragingly, shaking Alexis' hand. "And you have such beautiful red hair!"

"Thank you," Alexis said with a shy grin, pulling her hand out of Kate's and stepping out from behind her father's leg. "Do you wanna see my room?" she asked hesitantly. Kate agreed, and Alexis took her hand.

"Only five minutes until lunch, Alexis," Castle called as the two girls disappeared up the stairs. He shook his head as he walked toward the kitchen. Kate really was a natural with kids. She'd managed to break through Alexis' shell in mere seconds, and how she'd known that Alexis was insecure about her hair color was beyond him. He couldn't remember the last time his daughter had opened up to a stranger that quickly. _Looks like I picked a good sitter,_ he thought to himself as he began setting the table for lunch. Kate wasn't just going to be good for Alexis, though. She was already beginning to have a positive impact on him as well.

The girls made their way back downstairs after a couple of minutes, and the sandwiches and apples were served. Alexis chatted enthusiastically with Kate all throughout lunch. Castle chimed in occasionally, but mostly stayed silent. He'd never seen Kate this animated before, and much as he wanted to talk, he was enjoying just listening to the two girls chat with each other. Kate obviously adored his daughter. Castle finally joined in the conversation, telling silly stories and jokes that were rewarded with peals of giggles from Alexis and plenty of unsuccessful "I'm trying my hardest not to laugh" faces from Kate.

After the meal was over, Kate insisted on helping Rick wash the dishes. "Really, Castle," she said admonishingly, after he'd refused her assistance twice. "You gave me a free lunch, and the least I can do to thank you is to clean up." He gave in, chuckling quietly to himself. _You're getting soft, Rick_, he thought, _letting a nineteen-year-old-girl boss you around_.

After all of the dishes were clean and put away, Castle turned around and was surprised to find Alexis sitting quietly at the kitchen table, a pout on her face.

"What's the matter, pumpkin?" he asked, walking over to his daughter.

"You promised, Dad… you promised we'd play laser tag before you left," Alexis said sadly. "And we can't play with three people."

"Yes we can, Alexis!" Castle said reassuringly. "I have two grown-up vests. Remember? I bought two so that when you outgrow the kids' vest, you can still play." Alexis lit up. "You'll just have to ask Kate if she wants to play with us," Castle continued, looking over at Kate. She was standing a few feet away, a half grin on her face.

Alexis immediately jumped up and hurried to Kate's side. "Kate," she said sweetly. "Will you pretty please play laser tag with me and Dad? It's really fun."

Kate looked at Rick, and he lowered his chin, giving her his best pleading, hopeful face. She giggled. "Of course," she answered, returning her gaze back to Alexis.

"Oh boy!" Alexis shouted excitedly. "You can be on my team! We're gonna beat Dad. I'll go get the gear," she added as she ran out of the kitchen.

Kate turned to face Castle. "She's adorable," she said with a grin.

Rick smiled proudly. "I think so, too," he nodded. "But I'll have you know, Miss Beckett, that having sheer adorableness on your team isn't enough to give you a tactical advantage. I have never lost a game of laser tag." He puffed his chest out with pride, but quickly deflated when he saw the look that Kate was giving him. "Okay, okay, so I've let her win a few times. But I've never lost _on purpose_, and that's what's the most important."

"Well, Mr. Castle, there's a first time for everything," Kate said, taking a step closer to him.

Castle raised his eyebrows. "Is that a challenge, Miss Beckett?"

"It certainly is, Mr. Castle," Kate replied seriously.

Castle was amused. "In that case, let's have a little wager," he said playfully. "If you win, I'll bake you a batch of your favorite kind of cookie. But if I win, you have to have lunch with me tomorrow afternoon."

Kate took another step toward Castle and stood on her tiptoes, her nose almost touching his. "Deal," she said, eyebrows raised.

After a two-hour battle, the game was called. Kate and Alexis had lost spectacularly. Kate would never admit to Castle that she'd secretly promised the child extra ice cream that evening if they let her daddy win. Lunch with Richard Castle seemed like a pretty sweet deal in exchange for losing a game of laser tag.

* * *

><p>"Alright, Alexis. You're the expert here. Tell Kate what you do every night." Castle said. It was 4:55, and he was about to leave for his mother's play. The temptation to skip the play and stay home with Kate and Alexis was overwhelming, but wouldn't have been able to rationalize that decision with his mother.<p>

Alexis proudly took charge. "Well, I go to bed at 9:00 every night," she started. "I always brush my teeth and wash my face before bed. Then I have to have a bedtime story. Dad usually tells me about the adventures of Prinja, but he makes it up, so I guess you can just read me a book."

Kate looked at Castle, a confused expression on her face. "Prinja?" she asked.

"The princess ninja, of course," he answered matter-of-factly.

Kate smirked. "How cheesy," she muttered.

Alexis, ignoring their exchange, continued. "I clean up my room before bed, too. You can help me with that. And that's it!"

Kate looked toward Castle, and he nodded in agreement. "Good job, sweetheart," he said, patting Alexis on the back. The child smiled proudly.

"You're going to make sure all of the windows are closed and the front door is locked, right?" Castle asked his daughter. "And you're going to make sure Kate knows that the emergency phone numbers are posted on the fridge, and that she turns off the stove after she cooks the macaroni and cheese?"

"Don't worry, Dad," Alexis chided. "We're going to be fine."

Rick chuckled. His daughter was six, going on thirty. He had no idea where her strong sense of responsibility had come from.

"Okay, good," he said, bending down to give Alexis a kiss. "I'll be here when you wake up in the morning." Castle straightened, then turned to look at Kate. "My cell phone number is on the fridge. Don't hesitate to call me if something goes wrong."

"Don't worry, Castle," Kate said with a smirk, echoing Alexis' words. "We're going to be fine."

He laughed. "You girls have a good evening," he said, picking up his coat. Castle walked out the front door, feeling confident that he was leaving his daughter in good hands.

* * *

><p>It was silly, but Kate was sad that Castle was leaving. It had been a whirlwind of an afternoon, and she didn't realize how much Castle had contributed to the fun until it was time for him to go. When he finally shut the front door, Kate stepped toward it and turned the lock, then returned to Alexis' side.<p>

"So now that your daddy's gone, what do you want to do?" Kate asked, kneeling down to match the child's height.

Alexis cocked her head to the side for a moment, thinking, then put her hands on her hips and looked at Kate intently, almost as if she were interrogating her. "Are you good at playing Barbies?" she asked sternly.

"I'm the best Barbie-player you'll ever meet," Kate replied as seriously as she could, matching Alexis' solemn tone.

Alexis relaxed, smiling. "Good! 'Cause Dad is really bad at Barbies. He never does it right." She took Kate's hand. "Come on," she said enthusiastically, leading Kate to her bedroom.

As they were removing Alexis' Barbie collection from her closet, the child explained the Barbie game. "There's a mommy and a daddy," she said authoritatively, "and they have two girls. And they have a bunch of friends. They like to go on picnics sometimes and play in the park. Dad always tries to make them be spies or ninjas or other silly stuff," she added.

Kate giggled. She could definitely see Rick doing that. "Well, he's just wrong, isn't he?" she asked.

"Yep," Alexis nodded, continuing to remove Barbies from their boxes. "The big sister likes to take care of her little sister, but the big sister likes to skip school and stuff, 'cause she's a teenager, and that's what teenagers do, I think," she continued. "And the little sister loves her big sister a lot. And they both love their mommy and their daddy, and the mommy and daddy love each other very much."

Alexis stopped unloading Barbies and looked at Kate. For the first time, she looked insecure.

"I wish I had a big sister… and my mommy never comes to see me," she said quietly, lowering her chin.

Kate's heart broke as she realized that Alexis acted out her ideal family every time she played with her Barbies. She knelt down in front of Alexis and gently placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You know what, Alexis? I have an idea," Kate said gently. "How about I be your pretend big sister?"

Alexis' eyes widened as she raised her head. "Really?" she asked hesitantly.

Kate smiled. "Really. I can be your pretend big sister every time we're together. How does that sound?"

Rather than answer verbally, Alexis stepped toward Kate and wrapped her arms around Kate's shoulders. "I've always wanted a big sister," she whispered, pressing her cheek against Kate's chest.

Tears sprung to Kate's eyes. This child was the sweetest, most precious little girl she'd ever known. Pretending to be her big sister would be easy.

Pretending to be her Barbie big sister, however, proved not to be so easy. Alexis knew exactly how she wanted the Barbie big sister to act, and when Kate had her do something "out of character," she was scolded ("Come on, Kate, you're not doing it right!"). Eventually, the Barbies were put back in their boxes, and their gourmet dinner of macaroni and cheese was served, with ice cream for dessert. Alexis had reminded Kate about her promise of extra ice cream no fewer than seven times. _Castle could never forget anything, the way this child is,_ Kate thought with a grin.

* * *

><p>Castle had mentioned to Kate that Alexis was the portrait of responsibility and would probably take charge of her own bedtime. Sure enough, Alexis interrupted their movie that evening with a panicked announcement.<p>

"Kate, the little hand is on the eight, and the big hand is on the six. Do you know what time that is?"

Kate decided to feign ignorance. "No, Alexis, I don't. What time is it?"

Alexis jumped off of the couch. "It's 8:30! That means I go to bed in thirty minutes! We have to stop the movie! I have so much to do," she continued, chattering aimlessly as she hurried up the stairs.

Kate turned off the movie, giggling, and followed Alexis up the stairs. From what she'd seen of Castle, it was apparent that Alexis' sense of rigid responsibility had not been inherited from him.

After the child had brushed her teeth, washed her face, and changed into her pajamas, she picked a book, and the two girls snuggled into Alexis' bed. Alexis wanted to show off her reading skills and insisted on reading the majority of the book aloud, sorrowfully asking for help when she came to a word she didn't know.

"Thanks for reading with me," she chimed as Kate put away the finished book. "But now, you have to check for monsters. They like to hide under my bed, so Dad always checks to make sure they're not there."

Kate crept silently back toward the bed, a finger on her lips. Alexis nodded, hugging her knees to her chin. Kate slowly ducked down to her knees, gently placed her fingers around the edge of the bedskirt, then quickly yanked it up. Alexis looked at her, a serious expression on her face. "Are there any monsters?" she asked hesitantly.

"Not a single one," Kate answered reassuringly, straightening. "If there were, I would have snuck up on them and scared them!"

Alexis smiled and laid down, snuggling deep under the covers. "Goodnight, Kate," she said sweetly. "Will you still be here when I wake up in the morning?"

"No, baby," Kate replied sorrowfully, stroking Alexis' hair. "I have to go home." Where she'd go, she didn't know. But there was no way she'd spend the night at Castle's place. Lunch and dinner were one thing, but sleeping over was another thing entirely. Not to mention that it was _him_, and this was _his_ house. Much as she idolized Richard Castle, she wasn't going to be _that_ fan.

* * *

><p>Kate stepped into the living room and sat on the plush sofa. Alexis was in bed, and Castle said he'd be back around eleven, so she had a couple of hours to herself. She turned on the TV and began flicking aimlessly through channels, finally stopping when she found something she recognized. "Nebula 9" reruns were on. Kate grinned, settling back to watch her favorite show. The show had been cancelled at the end of its first season, and its last episode aired the week before her trip to Vegas. Much as she hated to admit it, she'd cried when the cancellation announcement had been made.<p>

She'd barely finished the end of her first episode when she heard Alexis calling her name, frantically. Kate jumped off the couch and raced up the stairs, hurrying to Alexis' side. The child was sitting up in her bed, a look of terror on her tear-streaked face. Kate sat down on the bed with Alexis, wrapping her arms around her trembling body.

"There was a m-m-monster," Alexis sobbed. "It c-came out from under my b-b-bed. It s-scared me."

Kate rubbed Alexis' back, soothing her. "Shh, it was just a dream," she whispered. "There weren't any monsters under your bed earlier. Remember? I made sure. It was just a dream."

Alexis sniffed. "It s-snuck in after you left," she said, wiping her eyes.

"Well, that won't do," Kate said. "No sneaking monsters allowed in this house!" Alexis grinned, sniffling.

"I have an idea," Kate continued. "Since I'm your big sister, how about I stay in here with you for a while? Those monsters won't bother you if I'm in here with you."

Alexis nodded and laid down, her face turned away from Kate. Kate pulled the covers over Alexis and laid down beside her, gently stroking the child's silky hair. Her mother used to do this to Kate when she'd had nightmares as a kid, and it had never failed to soothe her. She closed her eyes, continuing to stroke Alexis' hair long after the child had fallen asleep. Even if she wasn't really Alexis' big sister, it was nice to feel some semblance of family again.

* * *

><p>It was 12:45 AM, and Rick was finally getting home. His mother had convinced him to go to the afterparty with her under the guise of "The real star of the show doesn't go to the after party alone, darling. Besides, it wouldn't hurt you to be seen either." Judging by her actions, though, the real reason Martha had wanted him to attend was to introduce him to the show's lead actress ("I'm telling you, darling, she's the most talented girl you'll ever meet. And she's single!"). He'd finally managed to get away, knowing he needed to get back to Kate and Alexis. Rick would make sure and apologize to Kate for his late return. He didn't want her to refuse to babysit for him again for fear of his lateness being a regular occurrence.<p>

Rick unlocked the front door, opening it quietly so as not to wake Alexis, and stepped into his apartment. The TV was quietly playing when he walked into the living room, but there was no sign of Kate. After searching the kitchen, study, and master bedroom, he still hadn't found her. _Surely she didn't leave_, Castle thought, panicked. He'd check on Alexis, then continue his search for Kate.

He quietly opened the door to his daughter's bedroom and peeked in. What he saw made his heart catch in his throat.

Kate and Alexis were both in the child's twin bed, asleep. Kate had her arms wrapped protectively around Alexis, who was snuggled in, breathing slowly.

Rick stood in the doorway, smiling as he watched them. A casual observer would have never guessed that the two had only met that afternoon, judging by the way they were cuddled together. He finally stepped in quietly, praying the girls wouldn't wake, and tiptoed over to Alexis. He gently kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, princess," he whispered.

He took his eyes off of his daughter and looked over at Kate. She looked so peaceful and vulnerable in her sleep. Rick reached out and gently brushed a loose strand of hair out of Kate's face, praying she wouldn't stir.

"Sweet dreams, my sweet Kate," he said softly.

He walked back to the doorway of the room and turned around once more, letting his gaze linger on the sleeping girls for a while longer. He had a feeling that Kate hadn't fallen asleep with Alexis intentionally. Alexis had probably just had a nightmare (they'd been much more frequent lately), and Kate must have fallen asleep comforting her. The thought made him smile.

Kate fit easily into his family.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>_In writing this chapter, I learned what writer's block is. And I learned that it's not very fun. I struggled for so long to get any words down. The help of my lovely beta/personal story assistant/totally awesome person Cathey is what finally helped me to get this chapter published, and I cannot thank her enough. She's a magician. Seriously._

_As always, reviews are appreciated. I read each one of them._


	6. Chapter 6

"She told me that she wasn't going to stay here, Dad, but she did! Did you invite her to stay? Oh, I'm so happy that she stayed! We've got to make her breakfast. Do you think she likes bacon? Can we make bacon? I'll go get it out of the fridge!"

Rick chuckled, following his daughter into the kitchen. Alexis had been a non-stop chatterbox ever since she woke up early this morning and found a sleeping Kate by her side. "I didn't wake her up, Dad," Alexis had said. "She looked really sleepy, so I got out of bed super quiet and sneaked out of my room. I wonder when she'll wake up. Do you think it will be soon? Oh, I hope she doesn't sleep for a long time."

Castle let Alexis monitor the bacon as he began to stir chocolate chips into the pancake batter he'd prepared. He half-listened to the six-year-old's chatter, nodding and responding when appropriate as he poured batter onto the griddle into small circles. He couldn't get Kate off his mind.

No one should have to go through what Kate was going through, especially not at her age. Her story fascinated him, but even more than that, her confidence, drive, and her way with Alexis captivated him. Not to mention she was stunningly beautiful. Kate had so much potential. All she needed was someone to help her get back on her feet, so to speak, so that she could move on with her life. But how could he help?

He absently mindedly flipped the pancakes with his spatula, thinking. Castle neither needed nor wanted a live-in nanny. He'd been raised mostly by nannies in his childhood, and he didn't want that for his daughter. He told Kate that his previous babysitter, Rachel, walked Alexis to and from school, but he had failed to mention that the only reason Rachel did that was because her family lived in the same building as Castle, and Rachel's high school was only a block away from Alexis' elementary school. It had been convenient for Rachel to do, but it wouldn't be for Kate. He didn't want Kate to have to make that journey to and from the school twice a day if she didn't have to. Surely, there were better things for her to do than just walk Alexis to school daily and babysit every once in a while.

As Castle removed the cooked pancakes from the griddle and poured more batter on, he suddenly had an idea. He'd have to make a phone call after breakfast. There was no guarantee that anything would work, but he prayed that it would. Kate deserved it.

* * *

><p>Kate woke up and slowly rolled over. She hadn't slept that well in a long time. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking at the sunlight assaulting her from the open window. As soon as she realized where she was, though, her eyes popped open. <em>Damn it.<em> She'd fallen asleep in Alexis' bed last night, after promising herself she wouldn't stay the night.

She'd just stayed the night, uninvited, at the house of a man she hadn't even known for two days. Not to mention that this man was _Richard Freaking Castle_, and he was this handsome millionaire, and she was, well, the way she was, and oh, God, she'd promised to have lunch with him today. But if he couldn't find her, they wouldn't be able to have lunch, and she wouldn't have to face him. She had to disappear. That's all there was to it.

Kate got out of bed quickly, slipped her sneakers on, and tiptoed out of Alexis' room onto the landing. She could hear quiet voices coming from what sounded like the kitchen. If they really were in the kitchen, she'd be able to make it from the stairs to the front door without either Castle noticing. Kate snuck down the stairs as quietly as possible, tiptoeing to the door and slinging her backpack over her shoulder before flipping the lock. She quietly turned the handle and opened the door slowly, preparing to exit silently. She was not prepared, however, for what was waiting for her in the hallway.

A well-dressed woman with shoulder-length wavy red hair and an oversized red purse stood in the hallway, fist raised as though she were about to knock. "Oh, hello, darling," the woman said, surprised. "You must be the babysitter Richard told me about. He didn't tell me you were staying the night. Oh, thank you, dear," she continued as she brushed past Kate into the apartment, closing the door behind her.

"I… I was just…" Kate started.

"Oh, how silly of me! I didn't introduce myself. Where have my manners gone? Martha Rodgers, actress," she said theatrically, holding out her gloved hand for Kate to shake. "Richard is my son. Richard, darling," she called. "I'm here!"

Great, Kate thought. There was no way she could leave now.

Castle rounded the corner, wearing an apron and carrying a spatula. "Mother, you didn't tell me you were coming! Morning, Kate," he said, nodding in Kate's direction. Her face flushed.

"I just… uh…" Kate tried again.

Martha continued on, ignoring Kate's attempt to speak. "I'm your mother, Richard. I can come over any time I like. But isn't it too soon to have a new woman staying the night?" Martha asked. "Besides, I thought you were with Gina. She was your excuse for leaving the party last night, anyway."

"Gina? I—what? No, Mother! Gina and I are just friends. Just friends," Castle said. He looked bewildered, and if Kate wasn't mistaken, embarrassed.

"You keep telling yourself that, kiddo. It's Katherine, is it?" Martha asked, turning to face Kate.

"I… it's just Kate," Kate said hesitantly.

"Well, darling, I will call you Katherine. That's a much more suitable name for a beautiful woman like yourself. Oh, I smell breakfast," she trilled, waltzing into the kitchen.

Castle looked at Kate and shrugged. "Looks like we have a guest for breakfast," he said apologetically.

_We? _Oh no. "Castle…" Kate started, shifting her gaze to the ground. "I didn't know that I… I mean… I didn't mean to… I should be going."

Castle chuckled, making her cheeks turn red again. "Kate, it's okay," he said softly. "Alexis had a nightmare, so you went to comfort her and accidentally fell asleep. Am I right?" Kate nodded sheepishly.

"Look, Kate, don't worry about it," he said gently, seeming to sense her embarrassment. "I got back a lot later last night than I thought I would, anyway. Mother made me go to the afterparty with her, and… well, you see how she is," he said, gesturing to the kitchen with his spatula. "Anyway, I was planning on asking you if you wanted to stay the night. I wasn't about to kick you out at 1:00 in the morning when you and I both know good and well that you wouldn't have had anywhere to go."

Kate opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. He wasn't making a big deal out of the fact that she'd stayed the night—he had been going to ask her to, anyway. Not romantically, but out of kindness. _Don't be stupid, Kate,_ a voice in the back of her head said. _Remember what happened last time._

"Castle, I…" Kate started, trying to find the words she wanted to say. He was silent but attentive, giving her the space to think. "Thank you," she finally managed, raising her eyes to meet his.

"Any time," Castle replied, a gentle smile on his face. "Would you like to stay for breakfast, Kate? I made pancakes."

"You mean you burned pancakes," Martha's voice chimed from the kitchen.

Castle jumped, a worried look on his face, and hurried to the kitchen. Kate shook her head, smiling, and followed. Breakfast with the Castle family ought to be interesting.

Sure enough, between Alexis' excited chatter and Martha's tales of "the good old days," Rick and Kate hardly got two words in each during breakfast. Kate frequently caught Castle staring at her from across the table, and he'd shake his head or shrug his shoulders when he caught her eyes. At one point, he rolled his eyes and mouthed the word "redheads," causing Kate to stifle a laugh. The Castle family was unique, to say the least, but oddly enough, Kate liked it.

After breakfast, Martha insisted on washing Kate's clothes. "Honestly, darling, these clothes have seen better days," she said. "They almost look like you slept in them last night! So out of the kindness of my heart, I will wash what you're wearing for you. Put these on," she continued, passing Kate a pair of Rick's lounge pants and a large red T-shirt, "and give me what you're wearing."

Twenty minutes later, Kate emerged from the bathroom. She'd coupled her clothing change with a shower and was feeling refreshed. The red T-shirt was about three sizes too big, and she'd rolled up the lounge pants at the waist three times to keep them from falling off. _I look stupid,_ Kate thought, having rolled her eyes at her reflection in the mirror.

Moments later, when she walked into the kitchen, Alexis confirmed Kate's thoughts. "You look silly, Kate!" the child laughed. "Why are you wearing Dad's clothes?"

"Gram is doing Kate's laundry for her, Alexis," Castle said, saving Kate from having to speak. "She's just borrowing my clothes until hers are clean. And Kate, I must say, you look runway-ready in that fashionable outfit."

"All credit goes to your mother for picking it out for me," Kate answered with a grin, running her hand through her damp hair. "And what smells so good?"

"Cookies!" Castle exclaimed, slipping his hand into an oven mitt and opening the oven a crack. "I heard about your little bet with Alexis yesterday afternoon. Promising her extra ice cream if you guys would lose? I'm crushed, Kate," he finished with mock disappointment.

Kate felt her cheeks redden. How did he know about that? She glanced at Alexis, who had a guilty look on her face. "I didn't mean to tell him," she said sorrowfully, lowering her eyes.

"So I'm making you cookies. A deal's a deal," Castle said, shutting the oven. The cookie sheet now lay on the counter, 16 golden-brown cookies cooling on it. "And I didn't know what kind of cookie you liked, so I'm making you Alexis' favorite: oatmeal." He used his oven mitt as a puppet for the last word, raising his eyebrows playfully.

Kate sighed. "Castle, you don't have to make me cookies…" she started.

"What's that?" Rick asked through his oven mitt puppet. "I can't understand you. Here, put this on," he said, tossing her a spare oven mitt.

"Richard Castle, I will not play oven mitt puppets with you," Kate said as sternly as she could. "You don't have to…"

Castle looked at Alexis. "I can't understand a word she's saying. Can you?" his mitt said to Alexis. The child, playing along, shook her head, a grin on her face.

"Oh, fine," Kate said, a tone of annoyance in her voice. She slipped the oven mitt on her hand and stepped toward Castle, raising her mitted hand inches from his face. "This is the stupidest thing I've ever done," she said tersely, making her oven mitt speak with every word.

"Now I can understand you!" Castle exclaimed through his mitt. "So do you like oatmeal cookies?"

"They're my favorite!" Alexis piped up, oven mitt on her hand. Dear Lord, how many oven mitts did the man have? Kate sighed.

"They're my favorite, too," her mitt admitted to Alexis. The child smiled widely.

Right at that moment, Martha waltzed into the room. "I smell cookies!" she trilled. "Really, Richard, it's too soon for dessert. Breakfast was only an hour ago"

"Can't hear you, Gram!" Alexis' mitt spoke. Martha titled her head to the side, confused.

"It's a shame that I only have three oven mitts," Rick said quietly to Kate and Alexis, a playful tone in his voice. The oven mitt trio shared a collective look, then collapsed into giggles, ignoring Martha's protests.

Kate had learned something very important today: it was impossible to have an argument with someone when you were both using oven mitts as puppets.

* * *

><p>After baking the rest of the cookies, Alexis had begged Kate to color pictures with her. The two retreated to Alexis' bedroom with crayons and paper, and Castle decided to take advantage of the opportunity to withdraw into his study and make his phone call. After a brief conversation, Rick hung up the phone with a smile. It looked like his idea was going to work out. He just hoped Kate would accept his offer.<p>

The door to his study swung open, and Rick jumped. "What's happening, kiddo?" Martha said grandly, entering the room.

"You could have knocked, Mother," Castle said, exasperated.

"So tell me about Katherine," Martha continued, seating herself in the plush brown armchair across from Castle's desk. "How long have you known her? Where did you meet her? I want _all_ the details," she finished airily.

Rick sighed. "I met her two days ago, Mother. In the park," he said. "I asked her if she'd babysit Alexis last night so that I could go to your play, and she said yes." Okay, so that's not exactly how it happened. But the fewer details his mother knew, the better. He had conveniently "forgotten" to mention to Martha that Kate was homeless, for fear of his mother's judgment.

"Just like that, Richard? You didn't interview the girl or anything? Really, darling, I thought you'd know better than that," Martha said.

"I did interview her, Mother… well, sort of. I took her to lunch," Castle said. "And after our lunch conversation, I asked her to babysit."

Martha looked unconvinced. "I'd hardly call that an interview, Richard," she said, waving her hand airily. "So you meet a random girl in the park, take her to lunch, and ask her to babysit? Does she even have a babysitting résumé?" She paused, reading the look in her son's eyes. "Okay, what's really going on, Richard?" she asked gently.

"She's homeless, Mother." The words were out of his mouth before he realized it. Damn it. He watched the expression on Martha's face change, but trudged on. "She was just sitting there, looking so sad, and I just wanted to help. So I took her to lunch, and the more we talked, the more I realized I didn't want to let her go."

Damn it again. He hadn't meant to say that. Martha was looking at him, knowingly. "I mean… I just wanted to help," he repeated. "And I saw the way she lit up when we talked about Alexis. So I just kind of asked," he finished lamely.

"And then you called one of your higher-up friends, pulled some strings, and got her a real job," Martha added, laughing at the surprise that decorated Rick's features. "I heard your telephone conversation, Richard."

Of course she'd eavesdropped. Castle shook his head, preparing for a speech from his mother about people taking advantage of him, or about falling for yet another girl so quickly.

Instead of a speech, though, Martha stood and walked to his side. "I raised a good man," she said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Mother," Castle said, surprised. "So you think I'm doing the right thing?"

Martha smiled. "Absolutely, kiddo." She turned to leave the room, pausing when she reached the door. "But Richard," she said, turning to face him. "If you don't let her live in your spare bedroom from now on, I will be taking her in, and she will live with me. And you tell her I said that," she added as she left the room.

Castle breathed a sigh of relief. Never in a million years would he have expected Martha Rodgers, the self-proclaimed queen of all things fancy, to readily accept a homeless woman. _Maybe I misjudged her_, he thought with a smile.

Now he just had to hope that Kate's stubborn streak wouldn't prevent her from accepting what he planned to offer her at lunch.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong> _I cannot say enough good things about my beta, Cathey. She's amazing. This story would not be happening without her._

_I realize that this chapter didn't progress the story much, but I promise, plenty of good things are to come in chapter 7._

_As always, I love reading your reviews, and thank you all for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

"_Kate, I'm bored to tears. Let's do something," Johanna said, pacing. "This snowstorm may be keeping us from leaving the house, but it won't keep us from having fun." She walked over to Kate, who was curled up on the couch, book in hand. _

"_You want to color some pictures?" Johanna asked her daughter. _

_Kate looked up from her book, smiling. "Mom, I'm nineteen years old. I'm not a kid," she said._

"_And I'm forty-seven years old," Johanna retorted. "You're never too old to be a kid. Come on, we've been cooped up in this house for two days. Let's have some fun." She held out her hand, smiling. Kate giggled and took her mother's hand. _

"_Look, Kate," Johanna said an hour later, a pile of drawings cluttering the kitchen table. "I drew our family. There's me and dad, with you in the middle."_

_Kate giggled at the stick figure family. "Wow, you really captured our likeness, Mom," she said, smiling. _

"_Here, you keep it," Johanna said, passing the drawing to Kate. "Hang it on your fridge when you go back to college. Promise?" Kate agreed and took the drawing, not intending to actually display it anywhere. _

_If only she'd known then what would happen five days later, after all the snow had melted…_

* * *

><p>"Kate? Are you listening to me?"<p>

Kate jumped, the child's voice bringing her back into reality. The memory lingered in her brain, sadness tugging heavily at her heart.

"Sorry… what did you say?" Kate managed.

"I said," Alexis repeated with a tone of annoyance, "that I drew my family!" She held up the picture for Kate to see. "Here's me and Dad, and you, 'cause you're my big sister. And I'm holding you guys' hands. And there's my mom," she said, pointing to a figure on the edge of the page, far away from the other three. "I put her way over there 'cause she lives so far away… and she never comes to see me," the child finished resolutely.

"You're a very good artist," Kate said, doing her best to smile at the stick figures on the page. The drawing's simplicity reminded her so much of the picture her mom had made her; the picture she carried with her everywhere, folded and tucked into one of Castle's books for safekeeping.

"Thank you!" Alexis said, smiling. "Here, you can have it," she said, laying the paper in Kate's lap. "You should hang it on your fridge, so that you'll always remember me when you're at your house."

Oh, God. She couldn't do this. Tears sprung to Kate's eyes, threating to fall. She hated being reminded of her mom—it made it so much harder for her to control her emotions, and she couldn't afford to lose it in front of Alexis.

"I need to use the bathroom," Kate mumbled, standing up and turning before the child could notice the tears that were now beginning to streak her cheeks. She flung Alexis' bedroom door and began to run, but only made it a few steps down the hall before she ran into something. Or someone, rather.

"Kate?" he said with concern, taking hold of her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Kate opened her mouth to speak, fully intending to twist out of his grasp and run. But instead of words, a strangled cry came from Kate's throat. She collapsed in his arms, letting him hold her as she sobbed.

"I miss her, Castle," she managed. "I miss her so much."

* * *

><p>He wasn't any good at this. He was the master of charm and wit; he knew how to make people laugh and was always the life of the party. But this? Comforting the young woman who was sobbing into his chest, telling him how much she missed her mother? He had no idea what to say. So rather than speak, Rick did something very uncharacteristic of himself: he chose to stay silent.<p>

He wrapped his arms tighter around Kate, pulling her body into his, and gently rubbed her upper back as she cried. They stood there in the hallway for what seemed like several minutes, eventually drawing a curious Alexis into the hall. Castle immediately motioned her away, and she ducked back into her room. Finally, when Kate's sobs had been reduced to sniffles, Castle loosened his hold on her. He had a feeling she wouldn't want to talk about what happened, but he had an idea on how to cheer her up.

"Come on," he said gently, taking Kate's hand. "I want to show you something." She nodded, wiping her eyes, and allowed him to lead her down the stairs. They walked through the living room, past Martha in the laundry room, ironing Kate's jeans, and into the study, where Castle closed the door, releasing Kate's hand.

"This," he said with a grand gesture, "is my office." Kate looked around the room, eyes widening as she took in the hundreds of books on display. "I've written almost all of my best-sellers here," Rick continued proudly, "and as you can see, I'm a bit of a book collector. I've got Patterson, King, Craven, Connelly, Kellerman… and Castle, of course," he finished, gesturing to the shelf that contained his own books.

Kate's mouth was slightly agape as she finished taking in the room's treasures. "Wow," she breathed.

Castle chuckled. "You like it?" he asked.

"I kind of feel like Belle when she first saw the Beast's library," she said softly. "Or like…"

"Alfred in the Batcave for the first time," Castle suggested, instantly realizing that he and Kate had spoken the words simultaneously. He laughed, and a shy smile slowly appeared on Kate's face. _Score one for the smile-books_, Castle thought victoriously.

"You said you're a reader," Castle continued, "and I know you like mystery books, and that's mostly what I have, so consider this your library. Any time you're here, you can borrow whichever book you like."

Kate had taken a few steps away from Castle, further surveying the room, but immediately froze and turned to face him when he made his offer. Her eyes were wide, and for just a moment, a look of pure elation decorated her features.

"I… wow," she said, her elation quickly turning to awe. "No one's ever done anything like this for me before… thank you." She moved as though she were about to give Castle a hug, but quickly stopped, confusion momentarily showing in her eyes.

"I just…" she started, looking to the ground for a moment, then raising her gaze to meet Castle's. "Can I take one now?"

"Of course," Castle said, smiling as she moved toward the books. He wasn't sure what had just happened with Kate, but it was apparent that she was holding herself back somehow, almost like she was hiding herself behind a wall. It was probably just a self-preservation technique she'd developed to try to avoid getting hurt. Based on her earlier actions, Rick figured it was safe to assume that it wasn't him that was the problem. He'd just settle for being there for her for now, and hopefully, he'd be there when her walls came down.

He watched as Kate moved slowly from shelf to shelf, running her index finger along the spines of the books as she browsed, considering. She finally selected a book, pulling it from the shelf confidently. Castle studied her book of choice.

"_When the Wind Blows_ by James Patterson? Good choice," Castle approved. "That's his newest book. You know, Patterson's a friend of mine, and he invited me to play poker with him and a few other authors. My poker skills are a little rusty, though—I'd hate to show up and be badly beaten in front of all of those great authors."

"What, Castle, can't stand to have your ego crushed?" Kate asked with a smirk.

"Ha ha, very funny," Castle answered, glancing at his watch. "Oh, we can talk about that later. But for now, where do you want to go to lunch? And before you protest," he started before Kate could speak, "cheaters have to take both ends of the bet. Castle family rule, long-established. And," he continued, cutting Kate off from speaking again, "if you don't know what to choose, there's a perfect little burger place a few blocks from here." He smiled.

Kate shook her head. "I'm just not going to win, am I? Fine," she sighed. "Burgers it is."

"Great!" Castle exclaimed. "But you should change. I think you'd get some funny looks if you walked around town wearing that," he said, gesturing to the large red T-shirt and rolled-up lounge pants she was wearing. Kate rolled her eyes as she opened the office door. "And hurry, Mother can only keep Alexis for two hours," he called, closing the door behind him as he followed Kate out.

Castle only made it a few steps down the hallway before he encountered a very concerned Alexis, who had stopped Kate.

"Did I hurt your feelings?" the child asked hesitantly.

Kate knelt down, placing a hand on Alexis' shoulder. "No, baby, it's not your fault," she said reassuringly. "It's just that… my mom went to Heaven a few months ago, and sometimes, I think about it, and it makes me sad," she said. "It wasn't your fault, don't worry."

Alexis nodded, wrapping her arms around Kate. "I'm sorry about your mom," she whispered.

Rick smiled as he slipped past the two girls, headed for the laundry room to find his mother. She had another performance that evening and had to be at the theater in the early afternoon for preparations. Lunch with Kate would have to be quick. But that wouldn't matter. He was confident that Kate would be returning home with him that afternoon.

* * *

><p>"I have something I want to talk to you about," Castle said. Their burgers were finished, and both were slowly slurping their milkshakes at their booth in the restaurant. Kate rested her elbows on the edge of the table, folding her hands together and placing them under her chin as she looked at him.<p>

He'd carefully planned out this entire conversation in his head, but now that it was time for him to speak, all of his well-thought out phrases had slipped from his mind. _Don't screw this up, Rick, _he thought to himself, taking a deep breath.

"I want to keep you as my babysitter, Kate. You get along great with Alexis, and she loves you," he started. He watched as Kate grinned, her eyes lighting up. "So do you accept my job offer?"

"Of course," Kate answered, smiling. "I love Alexis."

"Great!" Well, that had been the easy part. Castle took another deep breath. "But that's not the only offer I have for you, Kate." He watched as the smile faded from her lips, replaced with a look of confusion.

"I've been wracking my brain, trying to figure out what I can do for you. I'm not just going to let my babysitter stay homeless, Kate," he said, stopping Kate before she could speak. "I want to help you. You deserve it. Anyway, I don't need a live-in nanny, so that ruled that option out," he continued. "But then I remembered that I have a friend who needs a secretary. He's a judge in Manhattan," Castle said. "His secretary just gave her two weeks' notice, and he needs someone. So I told him I had just the girl for him. He wants to interview you on Monday."

Kate straightened and looked at him, dumbfounded. When she still hadn't spoken after a few seconds, Castle continued.

"And until you build up enough savings to have a place of your own, I have a spare bedroom you can stay in. You don't need to be at that shelter any…"

"Castle!" Kate interrupted, finally having found her voice. "You can't do this! I mean, I'm not a charity case. I'm not staying at your place rent-free. There's no way." Her gaze was challenging, and her voice was laced with anger.

"It wouldn't be rent-free, Kate," Castle said gently. "Look, I hate grocery shopping, so if you'll buy groceries for me, do the laundry, and watch Alexis when I need you to, we'll call it even. And," he added, "my mother said that if you weren't going to live with me, she was going to make you live with her. Those were her exact words." Well, close enough.

He sat back in his seat, fully expecting more protests from Kate. Instead, though, Kate sat frozen for a moment, eyes wide and mouth open slightly. She finally sat back, running a hand through her hair, and sighed.

"Why me?" she asked. Her words were so soft that he could hardly hear them, and she looked into his eyes imploringly.

_Because I think you're extraordinary, _Castle thought. He wasn't ready to admit that to Kate, though. He'd have to try something else for now.

"The first time I saw you, Kate, you were sitting on that bench, and you looked so sad," Castle started. "You were holding a sign that said 'Homeless and jobless. Please help.' And I thought, 'You know what? I can help.'" Okay, so that wasn't _all_ he had thought, but it was true.

"So I took you to lunch, because I figured you'd be hungry," Castle continued. "But when we started talking, I realized that I…" he faltered, taking a deep breath. "I mean… I realized that you're actually a pretty cool person." He watched as a smile began to play at the corners of Kate's lips.

"And when I saw the way you lit up when I showed you Alexis' picture, I knew that I wanted to let you babysit, at least once, for a trial run," Castle continued. "I don't regret my decision to choose you, at all. And now that I've chosen you, I can't just quit on you. That wouldn't be right."

"Castle…" Kate sighed. "I mean, that's really sweet, but you could have done that for any person with a sign in the park. Why did you choose me?"

Rick thought for a moment. "You want to know the real reason?" he finally asked. Kate nodded, looking into his eyes.

"Because you're tall," he offered.

Kate's eyes shifted upward as the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly. She shook her head slowly, grinning.

"So do you accept my offer?" Castle asked. "Well, it's not all my offer—the judge helped, and of course, my mother…"

"Castle," Kate interrupted, reaching across the table to lay a hand on his arm. "Yes. And thank you," she added with a smile.

Castle could hardly contain his glee. He'd found a way to not only help Kate, but to keep her in his life.

* * *

><p>That evening, after Alexis had thoroughly beaten Kate and Castle at Monopoly (Alexis insisted that Monopoly was an easy game, much to the adults' chagrin), Castle methodically went through the spare bedroom, ensuring that Kate had everything she needed for the evening. Despite Kate's protests, he made a thorough list of everything he'd need to buy the next day to make sure that the room felt like her space, and not just a guest room. He insisted that Kate make a list of all personal effects that she would need as well, promising to provide them for her. Castle finally bid her goodnight, promising a full day of fun the next day.<p>

As soon he closed the door, Kate ran toward the king-sized bed, squealing as she leapt onto it. The mattress was so soft that she sank deep into it. _I'm going to sleep so well tonight,_ Kate thought, sitting up. She slid off the bed and walked toward the large closet, where she'd stored her backpack. She unzipped it and carefully unwrapped her mom's elephants from the sweater. After hanging the sweater on a spare hanger in the closet, Kate carried the row of five elephants into the room, setting them carefully on the corner of the desk. Her mom had always called them "the little family," even referring to them once as her "guardian elephants." _You're my guardians now_, Kate thought, stroking the biggest elephant with her finger.

The stick figure she'd made with her dad took its place beside the elephants, and the two drawings of her families, both old and new, were tacked into the wall beside the closet. Her decorating complete, Kate stepped back, surveying the room.

She had a home. It wasn't her own, but it felt more like home than any place she'd lived all year.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>_I have many people to thank for this chapter. Firstly, my story wizard, Cathey. You're awesome, times a million. Secondly, Ellie, who let me bounce a few ideas off of her and gave me her opinion on a few things. Third, CaskettFan5, who helped me when I was stuck and gave me the idea for Castle "knowing a guy" who could get Kate a job. They're all amazing.__  
><em>

_Jay, my reviewer who doesn't have an account on here: your review for chapter 6 made me smile. Thank you._

_Speaking of reviews, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter/ideas on what you'd like to see in the future! I read all of them and really appreciate your thoughts and kind words. _


	8. Chapter 8

"Good morning, Katherine! Rise and shine!" Kate winced as the curtains in the spare room were thrown open, letting in rays of sun.

"I'm taking you shopping today," the voice continued. "You can't show up for a job interview in that! Richard told me all about it, but he is obviously not suited to take you shopping, so I'm taking it upon myself to help you. Up, up!" Martha finished, patting Kate twice on the shoulder. "We leave in an hour!" She exited the room, leaving the door wide open.

Kate rolled over and groaned, looking at her watch. It was 6:45 AM. She'd stayed up past midnight reading the Patterson book she'd borrowed from Castle, and she was still sleepy. _Five more minutes,_ she thought, closing her eyes again.

Seconds later, a pajama-clad Alexis leaped onto the bed, nearly landing on Kate's legs. "We're going shopping, Kate!" she squealed, crawling up to Kate's head. "Gram's taking us shopping! I'm so excited! She even said we could visit the jell-at-oh parlor," she continued, stumbling over the foreign word. "It's fancy ice cream from Italy," she whispered into Kate's ear. "So come on! Breakfast is ready!"

Kate opened her eyes, but didn't otherwise move. _So tired_, she thought.

Dissatisfied with Kate's lack of response, Alexis rolled off the bed, running to Kate's side and grabbing her hand. "Come on, Kate," she insisted, tugging at Kate's hand. _Oh, fine. _Grinning, Kate rolled out of bed, allowing Alexis to lead her down the stairs.

Shopping with Martha and Alexis sounded like it would make for an excellent day.

* * *

><p>After bowls of oatmeal had been passed out, Rick spoke up. "Alright, Castle family! …and Rodgers, and Beckett," he added, nodding toward the two ladies. "We need to have a family meeting this morning."<p>

Rick and Kate had informed Martha of Kate's decision when they returned to the loft yesterday afternoon, but all they'd told Alexis was that Kate was going to spend the night again. They'd agreed to talk about the new living arrangements this morning. Kate had insisted that Rick do all the talking. She'd admitted to him that it would take some time for her to adjust to all that had happened over the past few days. "When I think of home, I think of my parents' apartment," she had said, eyes brimming with tears. "I just need some time." Rick understood. She had definitely been through a lot this year, and he would gladly do anything he could to help her transition to her new life, including break the news to Alexis.

"Alexis," Rick started, "Do you like Kate being your babysitter?"

"I love it!" the child exclaimed, swallowing a mouthful of oatmeal. "She's my favoritest babysitter ever! Did you know she's my pretend big sister, Dad? 'Cause she is. I like it when she spends the night with us. I hope she can spend the night every night!"

Kate grinned as Castle said, "I'm happy to hear that, Alexis! Because Kate has a little problem that we might be able to help her with. She's h…" He stopped when he saw the look on Kate's face. Her eyes were wide, mouth open slightly, and she was vehemently shaking her head "no."

"I mean…" Castle said, restarting. _The word "homeless" must be taboo in this conversation_, he thought. "Something happened to her apartment, and she can't live there anymore," he finished.

Kate let out her breath in relief as Alexis' eyes widened. "Oh, no," the child said solemnly.

"So I was wondering, Alexis," Castle continued, "if it would be okay with you if Kate lived with us for a little while."

Alexis leaped from her seat and began to jump up and down, clapping her hands. "This is the best day of my life!" she exclaimed joyfully as she ran to Kate. "Now you're my for real big sister!" She threw her arms around the young woman.

"I take it that's a yes," Castle chuckled as Kate returned Alexis' hug. He had known that Alexis would have no problem with Kate living with them.

Martha suddenly stood up and clapped her hands together once. "I hate to break up the party," she announced, "but the town car I called for will be arriving in forty-five minutes, and neither Katherine nor Alexis is dressed. I will not be seen in public with two young women who are not properly dressed," she finished as the two girls stood up. "That would just be terrible for my image, oh goodness me."

Rick looked at Kate. For a brief moment, sadness creased her face, but she quickly masked it as she followed Alexis out of the kitchen. Damn his mother. She didn't realize how tactless her statement was—Kate had no other clothes than the ones she was wearing. Getting "properly" dressed wasn't an option for her. Poor Kate was already embarrassed about her situation, and the last thing she needed was to be reminded of it through insensitive comments from members of his family.

Rick would have to wait to talk to Martha about it later, though. At the moment, his mother was on her way upstairs with the girls. He could hear her calling them to make sure their rooms were straight and everything was put away before they left. _Kate doesn't have anything to put away, though, _he thought to himself.

Suddenly, he had a thought: Kate mentioned that she'd left everything she owned, save the contents of her backpack, in her apartment when she was evicted. What had the landlord done with all of her things? Maybe it was possible for her to get some of it back. Of course, Kate probably wouldn't want to let him get it back for her. He'd have to go at it in the most roundabout way he could.

As the three ladies were about to walk out the door forty-five minutes later, Rick pulled Kate aside. "Where did you and your ex live?" he asked.

She tilted her head, a quizzical look on her face. "Lower East Side. We had an apartment at 4th and Avenue C. Why?"

"Just wondering which part of town you're from," Castle answered simply. "I had you pegged as a Manhattan girl."

"Born and raised," Kate answered with a sad smile. "It's hard to leave the place where you grew up." She took a breath, as if to speak again, but paused when she heard Martha's call. She turned slightly, letting out her breath. "See you later," she said, tentatively raising her hand in small wave.

"Later," Castle answered with a nod, watching as his mother ushered Kate and Alexis out the door. He was going shopping today, to buy necessities for Kate's room. _Kate's room. _The idea of it being hers now, not just the guest room, was exciting. But hopefully, there was a way he could make it feel even more like hers.

The store could wait. His first stop for the morning was an apartment building at 4th and Avenue C.

* * *

><p>"Saks Fifth Avenue? Martha, I can't. I mean…"<p>

"Nonsense, dear," Martha said, waving a finger at Kate. "An interview is all about the first impression. If you don't look the part, you won't be hired for the part. A bit of advice from the acting world for you," she added. "Everyone out of the car! Simon, be back in an hour," she nodded to the driver, stepping out of the car onto the street.

Kate remained frozen in her seat, trying to gather the strength to step onto the sidewalk. "Really, Katherine, you must get out of the car," Martha chided, helping Alexis out.

Kate grudgingly ducked out of the car and wandered to the shop's front window, peering inside. It wasn't just the high prices that kept Kate from wanting to enter the store—she had window-shopped with her mother at Saks Fifth Avenue more times than she could count, marveling at the beautiful clothing with exorbitant prices. Never once had she actually stepped foot in the store. Her mom said she'd never been inside, either. _"But one day, we'll go in, Kate. And we'll touch every single piece of clothing in the store, just because we can. Our first time to visit Saks Fifth Avenue, together! Won't it be fun?"_

_Oh, Mom, _Kate thought longingly. _You never did get to go inside._ A tear slipped down her cheek as she gently placed her palm on the store's window.

Kate started when a hand touched her shoulder, and she turned to find Martha and Alexis, eyeing her with concern. "Katherine, are you alright?" Martha asked.

She shook her head. "My mom…" she started, taking a deep breath. "She died in January." She moved her palm from the window to quickly wipe the tears from her cheek, embarrassed by their presence and annoyed by their continuous downfall.

"Oh, Katherine dear, I'm so sorry," Martha said sincerely, moving her hand to Kate's back. "I had no idea your mother was no longer with us."

"It's just… she always wanted to visit this store, and she never got to," Kate said with a sniffle. "And now she never will."

"Ah, but she's here, darling," Martha said tenderly. "She's with you. In your heart." She placed her palm gently over Kate's heart. "You carry her with you wherever you go. So she will visit Saks Fifth Avenue today, as will we. And we will visit in her memory."

More tears began to fall from Kate's eyes, and Martha responded by pulling her into an embrace. Alexis came over and wrapped her arms around both women, and the three stood on the sidewalk in a group hug, ignoring the stares of the people bustling by as the youngest and oldest of the trio lent their strength to the one who needed it.

Kate finally indicated her readiness to enter, and they stepped inside, Alexis holding Kate's hand protectively. They left Saks Fifth Avenue an hour later with two complete interview-appropriate outfits. Martha insisted that it was important to have options. She also insisted on a subsequent trip to Bloomingdale's, where the trio exited with several bags filled with new clothes ("You'll have to wear something to work when they hire you, Katherine!"). Martha gave helpful, albeit unsolicited, interview advice during their car ride home, and insisted that Rick coach Kate through potential interview questions that evening. Kate sat patiently through Rick's interview session, itching to go upstairs to her bedroom and organize all of the new things he'd bought her that day. Castle truly had thought of everything. She now had basic hygiene items, new pajamas, a beautiful pink geranium in a turquoise pot, two new throw pillows for the bed, and a quirky painting that matched the new pillows perfectly. She'd never admit it to him, but he'd managed to pick out things that matched her taste and personality perfectly, down to the blue pajama pants with otters dancing across them.

More valuable to Kate than her new stuff was her deepening relationship with the Castles. The ache in Kate's heart caused by her mother's absence was always present, but she found that it was lessened when she was with the people that were becoming her new family.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>_I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out. Christmas travels and visiting with my family delayed me quite a bit, and I thank all of you for being patient with me. I'm still amazed with the response this story has gotten, and I appreciate each and every review, follow, and favorite I get. _

_My lovely chapter reviewer/magic fix-it girl, Cathey, is amazing. You guys have no idea how much I owe to her. I can send her something that doesn't make sense, or just a basic idea I need help wording, and she can practically read my mind and give me the exact wording that I'd been wanting, but wasn't able to come up with on my own. _

_Please leave me a review! I love hearing your thoughts and ideas. I read each review, and they're very helpful to me._


	9. Chapter 9

Despite having gone to bed early, Monday morning came too quickly for Kate. She felt as though her alarm had sounded only moments after she'd gone to sleep. She stretched and rolled over, blinking in the rays of sunlight sneaking into the room from behind the closed curtains. _It's too early,_ she thought, settling her head deep into her pillow. Suddenly, she remembered why she needed to get up so early today: she had a job interview. Butterflies began to dance in her stomach as all the confidence she'd built up the previous day dissipated.

_Who am I kidding, _she thought. _I can't do this._ Kate was just a teenager; her only previous work experience was a cashier position in high school. There was no chance of her getting a full-time job as a judge's secretary. She would just back out of the interview, but she knew it would crush Castle if she did. He'd taken the time to personally arrange it for her, because he was sweet and caring and kind and…

_Stop it, Kate,_ she scolded herself. This wasn't the time to develop feelings for Castle. She rolled out of bed, shuffling sleepily into the bathroom.

After a quick shower, she stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her torso, and began to walk toward her closet. She froze, though, and let out a small shriek when she realized _he _was in her room, standing by the door, as if he had just entered. His face flushed, eyes darting to the ground as soon as he saw Kate in her semi-naked state.

"I… uh… just wanted to make sure you'd woken up in time," Castle said, turning back to face the bedroom door.

"Yeah," Kate affirmed, cheeks reddening to match his.

"Sorry," Castle mumbled. "I'll just… er… breakfast," he trailed off, closing the door behind him as he hastily exited the room.

_Well, that was awkward. _Kate remained frozen for a moment, trying unsuccessfully to stop herself from imagining Castle wearing nothing but a towel. Finally, she sighed, shaking her head slowly, and opened her closet door. She selected her favorite of the two interview outfits Martha had purchased from Saks Fifth Avenue the day before and put it on, carefully inspecting herself in the full-length mirror hanging from the back of her closet door. The mirror was another of Castle's purchases from the day before. "I don't know much about girls, but I know they like mirrors," he'd said sheepishly. "I figured you'd want one for your room."

That man truly did think of everything. Much as Kate hated to admit it, he really did take good care of her. She never had gotten a straight answer from him as to why he'd chosen to care for her, though. "Because you're tall" was his response when she'd asked him that day in the café. He'd obviously evaded answering her question, and she'd chosen not to press the matter. Maybe she'd bring it up again one day soon.

She walked into her bathroom, wiped the fog from the round mirror with a hand towel, and began applying the makeup that Martha had helped her select during their shopping trip. Martha had thought of everything, too. She could be pushy and overbearing at times, but deep down, she was caring and thoughtful.

And of course, there was Alexis. That girl was so sensible and responsible for someone so young. Kate would be going to her interview with wet hair had Alexis not suggested they purchase a hair dryer. "You should get a curling iron, too," the child had added. "That way, we can curl our hair big and puffy like Christina Aguilera!" Of course, Martha had purchased the iron, despite Kate's insistence that her hair curled just fine on its own.

Kate grinned, her reflection grinning back at her in the mirror. The Castle family was definitely spoiling her.

* * *

><p>Kate had barely spoken two words on their drive to the courthouse, choosing to stare out the taxi window in silence for the duration of their ride. <em>She's quiet when she's nervous<em>, Rick thought, remembering how Kate had hardly spoken in the moments before she entered his apartment for the first time. He'd insisted on accompanying her today, hoping his presence could help ease her nerves. But even his best jokes hadn't cracked a smile this morning. That was yet another way that Kate differed from all the other women he'd spent time with before. No matter the situation, he could always find a way to make the woman smile. Not Kate Beckett, though. She was tough as nails. And oddly enough, he liked that about her.

He entered the courthouse with her, escorting her straight to the judge's suite, where the interview would take place. He knew Kate would probably be overwhelmed if she had to find the office on her own, and judging by the way her wide-eyed gaze was darting quickly around the lobby and hallways as they walked, he knew he had been correct about that.

Rick opened the door to the judge's suite and held it as she walked in. He stood by the wall, waiting as she introduced herself to the current secretary, who picked up the phone to alert the judge to Kate's arrival. After the woman hung up the phone, Kate glanced over her shoulder and met Rick's eyes for a brief moment. He smiled and nodded reassuringly, spirits lifting as he watched a smile begin to play at the corners of Kate's mouth. She'd be great, and he knew it.

"Castle!" a booming voice exclaimed. Rick moved immediately toward the tall, balding man who had just entered the room, shaking his hand with a smile.

"Markaway! Long time, no see," Castle said genially, releasing the man's hand to gesture toward Kate. "Judge Markaway, I'd like to introduce you to Kate."

Kate hesitantly held out her hand. "Kate Beckett. It's nice to meet you," she said, voice quiet. Rick could tell that she was still feeling nervous, but was trying to sound confident.

Judge Markaway took her hand in both of his, his large palms dwarfing her slender fingers. "Kate. It's an honor," he said, gently shaking her hand. As he released it, he turned to Rick. "We should only be thirty minutes," Markaway said. "You waiting here?"

"Yes, sir," Castle answered. "She and I have a couple of errands to run this afternoon, so I'll just wait here." Kate shot him a confused look as Judge Markaway escorted her into his office, but Rick's only response was a smirk and a raised eyebrow. He hadn't told Kate about his plans for their afternoon yet. He knew she'd protest when she found out what was going on, so it would be a surprise. For now, though, he'd keep her wondering.

Rick sat in the armchair against the wall of the suite's lobby and pulled out his notebook. He'd been so busy with Kate the last couple of days that he hadn't written much. It was time for his undercover crime-fighting detective Nikki Heat to have a few adventures.

Forty minutes later, the door to Markaway's office opened. Rick snapped his notebook shut, hastily shoving it into his bag, and stood. Markaway and Kate were coming down the hallway, and… laughing. They were both laughing. Rick let out his breath in relief. Surely, laughter was a sign that the interview had gone well.

The duo finally appeared in the suite's lobby, a smile decorating Kate's face. "…and it was my pleasure, Kate," Judge Markaway finished, leading her to the lobby door. "You'll hear back from me in no less than three days. So Rick," the judge said, turning to face Castle. "I'm headed to Pelham Bay for a round of golf Saturday morning. Tee time is 9:00. Care to join me?"

"Maybe! I'll let you know," Castle said, winking subtly at Kate. "I'll have to see if my babysitter's available." He wanted Kate to know that he didn't expect her to babysit every time he asked—he wanted her to have a choice, and the power to say "no" if she needed to. The resulting grin on her face indicated to him that she understood.

As they walked through the courthouse, making their way outside, Kate chattered excitedly. According to her, interview had gone "totally great," Judge Markaway was "awesome," and she was "like ninety-nine percent sure" the job would be hers. Rick couldn't have been any happier for her, and the smile on Kate's face when he told her that was the biggest he'd ever seen.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Castle. You still haven't told me where we're going," Kate said. He'd given the taxi driver an address, ignoring Kate's questions about what "errands" he had planned.<p>

"You're exactly right, I haven't," Rick said, earning an annoyed look from Kate. "It's a surprise, okay? All I can tell you right now is that you can't go into the place we're going dressed as professionally as you are right now," he continued. "So I brought you a change of clothes." He reached into his bag, pulling out Kate's new jeans and one of her new blouses.

Kate's eyes widened. "You went through my clothes?" she asked, her tone unreadable.

"Well, to be fair, the jeans were on the floor," Rick answered simply. "And I pulled a random shirt out of your closet. No harm done." He smiled, undeterred by the look Kate was shooting him.

"Fine," she sighed. "Where am I supposed to change?"

"That's easy," Castle answered. "There's a Starbucks not too far from our destination, and that's our first stop. Oh, look, here we are," he said as the driver pulled the car to the curb in front of the building. "You go in and change, and I'll go get us both some coffee. What do you want?"

Kate followed Rick out of the car, joining him on the sidewalk in front of Starbucks. "I, uh… I actually don't like coffee," she said, sounding embarrassed.

"What? You don't like coffee?" Rick said incredulously. "Miss Beckett, if you are going to live in Chez Castle, you must like coffee. It's a requirement. Even Alexis likes it, and she's six. Oh, I know something I bet you'd like," he continued. "My ex didn't like coffee, either, but there was this one certain drink she loved. You should try it. Do you trust me?"

Kate looked at him, confused. "Castle, I…"

"Do you trust me, Kate?" He lowered his voice, speaking gently, and looked her directly in the eyes.

She was silent for a moment, eyes locked on his. "Yes," she finally answered quietly, nodding her head slightly.

Rick smiled. "It's settled, then," he said. "You go change, and I'll buy the coffee. I'll meet you by the front door when you're done."

A few minutes later, Kate walked out of the bathroom, wearing jeans and a purple top, carrying the outfit she'd worn for the interview neatly folded in her hands. Castle had forgotten to bring her different shoes, so she was still wearing her beige pumps. He was amazed at how easily and confidently Kate was able to walk in the three-inch heels. Not many women could.

"My eyes are up here, Castle," Kate said jokingly, pulling his attention from her feet to her face.

"I'm just amazed at how easily you can walk in those things," he said reverently, watching as a grin appeared on Kate's face. "Here you go." He handed her one of the paper cups in his hand, steam rising from the opening in the lid. "I got you a grande because I know you'll like it," he said, watching as Kate lifted the cup to her lips, taking a cautious sip.

Her eyes widened as she swallowed. "Oh, wow," she said. "This is actually really good! What is it?"

"Skim latte with two pumps of sugar-free vanilla," Rick answered. "It was Meredith's favorite. She always got skim milk and sugar-free vanilla, because she thought that made it healthier. But if you don't like it with skim…"

"Castle," Kate interrupted. "It's great." She smiled. "Looks like I might like coffee after all."

"And I couldn't be happier," Castle said proudly, holding the front door open for Kate to walk through. He led her down the sidewalk for a couple of blocks, finally stopping in front of a Goodwill store. Kate looked at him, confused.

"Why are we at Goodwill?" she asked.

"Promise not to interrupt me or ask any questions until I'm done explaining?" Castle asked. Kate nodded her agreement.

"Okay," he started. "I paid a visit to your old apartment yesterday and met your landlord." Kate's eyes grew larger, but she didn't speak. "I asked him what he'd done with all of the things you left in the apartment, and he told me he had taken them to this Goodwill. He said he'd rather get the tax deduction for donating all of it than just throw it all away."

"So here's what we're going to do," he continued. "We're going to go in, and you're going to pick out everything that's yours, and I'll buy it back for you, on one condition."

"What's that?" Kate asked quietly.

"That for everything we buy, you tell me the story of how you got it," Castle answered. "I'm a writer. I like stories." He grinned.

"Castle…" Kate sighed. "I appreciate it, but I feel so bad that you keep buying things for me, and I can't pay you back."

"You can, though, Kate," he said. "I've been really blocked in writing lately, and I need some new ideas. Sometimes I can get great ideas just through little stories," he continued. Okay, so that wasn't true—plenty of ideas were swirling through his brain. He just hadn't had time to write them down. But extra ideas wouldn't hurt. Besides, he wanted to get to know Kate better, and this would be a great way to do just that.

Kate stared at him for a moment, her gaze finally softening. She took a step toward him and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. "Thank you, Rick," she whispered.

_Rick_. She had finally called him Rick.

* * *

><p>"…and that was a souvenir my friend Madison gave me when she went to Niagara Falls. Oh my gosh! No way! Look at this!" Kate had been running excitedly from aisle to aisle for the past fifteen minutes, talking a mile a minute. She had just picked up a stuffed elephant, and she gave it an affectionate squeeze. "My mom gave me this for my seventh birthday. Elephants were her favorite," she said, placing the elephant in the basket.<p>

"So those elephants you have on your desk—were they hers?" Rick asked. Kate froze, as though his question had caught her off guard.

"Yeah," she answered quietly, head lowered. "They were her favorites." She raised her head, eyes looking into his. "Castle, I…" she started as her gaze shifted behind him. "Wait, is that what I think it is?" Her eyes focused on an object behind him, and she slipped past him on her way to rescue another treasure.

Castle sighed. Just like that, the moment was gone. He followed her, eager to hear about the newest trinket, but wishing he knew what she'd been thinking in the moments before she found it.

Kate had found the store's book section, and he met her at a bookshelf, smiling as she began to eagerly pull books from their resting places. "My books, Castle! They're all here!" she said happily. "Look, see how I wrote my name in each of them?" She opened the book she was holding, showing him her signature. "Wanna help me find all of them?"

Castle agreed, beginning to systematically open book after book, re-shelving those without Kate's name in them. The girl had a lot of books—no wonder she'd been so awe-stricken when she saw his library. Suddenly, a familiar-looking book caught his eye, and he moved toward it.

"Hey, this book's mine," he said, holding it up. "_Hell Hath No Fury. _ Not one of my better works, I'll admit," he continued, opening the cover. "Looks like someone else thought so, too, and sent it to Goodwill. Oh, wait a second."

He'd fully opened the cover by now, shocked to find familiar handwriting decorating the title page. "'From the library of Katherine Beckett,'" he read, watching as Kate's face blanched. "This was yours, Kate?" he asked, surprised. "I thought you said you'd never read my books."

"I'm so sorry, Castle," she said quietly. "I lied, because I thought that if you knew I was a fan, you'd… you might…" She sighed. "I was afraid that you'd treat me like just another fan, especially if you knew that you were my favorite author. Because you are. But I didn't know you," she quickly added. "I mean, not like I do now. I know you'd never do that. But I was scared, so I lied, and I…"

Castle gently placed two fingers over Kate's mouth, silencing her. "It's okay," he said gently. "I understand." He removed his fingers from her lips.

"So you're not mad?" she asked hesitantly.

"Not at all," he responded. "You know, I probably would have done the same thing." Her face visibly softened, and she exhaled, the tension leaving her shoulders. He placed the book in the cart, then gently picked up one of Kate's hands, enclosing it between both of his.

"And may I just say how honored I am to have such a wonderful, dedicated fan as you living at my house," he said, bowing his head slightly toward her.

"The honor is all mine," she returned, grinning.

An hour later, they exited Goodwill, boxes and bags filled with so many items that they had to take separate cabs home in order to transport it all. Although Kate hadn't found all of her old things, she now had over three-fourths of her old clothes, numerous trinkets and treasures, including her nonna's favorite skillet, a couple of throw pillows, and, of course, her books. A few of her furniture items had been in the store, too, and Castle insisted on purchasing them as well. He had a storage unit that he said he could put them in until she was able to get her own place.

At this point, though, she wasn't even sure if she wanted her own place. Living with Castle just kept getting better and better.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>_My aunt is a judge, so I'm able to picture very clearly in my head what the judge's area looks like. For those of you who cannot, imagine that each judge has their own suite. Inside of each suite is a lobby area, with the judge's secretary. Branching off from the lobby, down a hallway, are the judge's office, the court reporter's office, and the bailiff's office. So it's a little suite with several offices inside. _

_Thank you all so much for reading and for sticking with me thus far! You're all amazing (especially you, Cathey- this story would be pretty lame without your help), and I can't wait to read everyone's reviews._


	10. Chapter 10

He said that she would hear from him in three days or less. Today was day three, and she had yet to receive Judge Markaway's phone call. The fear of not getting the job was growing, and she had hardly slept the night before, awakening at 5:30 AM. Kate's nerves were causing her to do all sorts of strange things, too. Already this morning, she'd dropped her hairbrush in the toilet, stood zoned out in the shower for fifteen minutes before snapping to, and washed her face with shampoo instead of soap.

She had to do something to keep herself occupied. That's why she was in the kitchen at 6:30 AM, scrambling eggs in her nonna's special pan and frying bacon in a large skillet. Kate was a terrible cook, but bacon and eggs were easy enough. It was about time she did something for Castle, anyway. He'd done so much for her over the past week, and she'd been unable to do anything in return. Yes, she'd gone grocery shopping for him yesterday, but because she still had no money, he'd paid for everything. She felt like she'd never be able to repay him for all the kindness that he'd shown her. Breakfast was just a small drop in the bucket, but it made her feel better nonetheless. She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she began to carefully flip the bacon.

"Mmm, smells good in here." Kate jumped, surprised by Castle's sudden presence in the kitchen, and dropped the bacon fork with a squeal. Castle laughed. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said, handing Kate a clean fork from the silverware drawer.

"Yeah, sure," Kate said sarcastically, a grin on her face, continuing to flip the bacon. Over the past three days, she'd begun to let her guard down with Castle, allowing the fun-loving, rebellious, and slightly sarcastic version of herself to begin to come through. From the moment she met Castle, she'd been keeping a lot suppressed, trying to appear casual and almost professional in front of him. Three days ago, though, when he'd taken her to Goodwill, she'd finally realized that she didn't have to be that way. He wanted to help her, to get to know her, and to be her friend.

_Her friend_. Not her lover, but her friend. Deep down, she'd been scared from the moment she met him that the only reason he'd chosen to talk to her that day in the park was because he thought she was pretty. Kate thought he was cute, no questions asked, but she was so scared his interest in her was romantic that she'd been holding herself back, going as far as calling him by his last name. Which, of course, was habit by now. Besides, at this point, it would have been a point of pride to begin regularly calling him by his first name. Although she was still hesitant at times, she was quickly growing much more comfortable with him.

"Hey, Kate, watch this!" Kate looked toward Castle, who had placed a cantaloupe on a cutting board on the countertop. A large knife was in his hand, and he gripped the knife's handle with both of his hands, dramatically raising it high above his head. With a raise of his eyebrows, he swiftly brought the knife down, slicing the melon in half in a single motion.

"Did you see that? I totally cut that cantaloupe ninja style." He set the knife down and grinned at Kate, who simply shook her head. Castle was like a nine-year-old on a sugar rush half the time. Sometimes, she wondered if he needed a babysitter as much as Alexis did.

Alexis finally awoke, joining the adults for breakfast. After the meal, Castle sent his daughter off to her room to play. Kate began to wash the dishes as Castle put away the leftovers. Suddenly, the home telephone rang, causing Kate to jump again. "You seem a bit nervous," Castle said as he walked toward the phone. He grinned as he picked it up from its base and lifted it to his ear.

"Hello?" He paused. "Oh, of course. Here she is." He held out the phone to Kate with a smile. "It's for you."

Oh, _crap._ This was it. This was Markaway, calling to tell her that they'd hired someone else; that she was still jobless. What would she tell Castle? That he'd done everything he could for her, but she still wasn't good enough to land a job? She'd have to move out, no questions asked. It would be way too embarrassing to stay here any longer. _Crap, crap, crap…_

She hesitantly took the phone from him, lifting it to her ear. "Hello?" she said weakly.

"Kate! This is Judge Markaway."

_Yep, it was him._ "What can I do for you?" she asked. _God, what a stupid thing to say, Kate…_

"You can say 'yes.' The job is yours!"

Wait. _What?_

It took everything in Kate's power not to drop the phone and scream in excitement. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I… wow. Thank you, sir," she said lamely.

"So, Kate? What do you say? Would you like to come work as my secretary?" Markaway asked.

"Oh, absolutely, sir. Yes." Kate's confidence had finally returned to her. She turned to face Castle, who was drying her nonna's pan. He met her eyes, asking a silent question. She nodded, grinning, and watched as a huge smile broke out onto his face.

"Wonderful!" Markaway said. "I know it's not much notice, but I'd like for you to start Monday. Will that work?"

Kate thought for a moment. Today was Thursday. She would absolutely be ready to start on Monday. She confirmed this with Markaway, and soon hung up the phone. After returning it to its base, she stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what had just happened.

_I have a job. I'm not homeless anymore. I have a freaking job. Oh my God._

"So," Castle's voice came from behind her, interrupting her thoughts. "Good things, I assume?" he asked, eyebrows raised knowingly.

Kate turned around, grinning. "I got the job!" Suddenly unable to contain her elation for a moment longer, she squealed, ran toward Castle, and threw her arms around him.

He chuckled. "I'm so proud of you, Kate," he said, gently patting her shoulder as she released him.

Kate began to jump excitedly around the kitchen. "Oh, this is so awesome. I've got to call my mom! I… oh..." She froze. She couldn't call her mom. Not now, and not ever. Sadness began to course through her veins, inundating and overwhelming her until she could hardly breathe. She felt her knees begin to buckle beneath her and gave in, letting herself fall to the floor.

* * *

><p>Kate was collapsing. He reached out, trying to catch her, but he wasn't fast enough. She hit the floor, and Rick dove down, landing beside her trembling body. She was on her knees, face to the ground, and arms wrapped over her head. He gently lifted her up, pulling her into a sitting position and pressing her head into his chest as loud sobs began to wrack her body.<p>

The sound was heartbreaking. His heart ached for her, even more knowing that there was nothing that he could do to fix what she was going through. He couldn't imagine how horrible it was to lose a parent. Kate had been coping amazingly well, especially for someone so young. She'd had a few minor breakdowns before, but he'd never seen her so completely and utterly broken like this.

Castle pulled her tighter into his sternum, rubbing her back as he began to gently rock from side to side. He lowered his head to meet hers, gently whispering assurances into her ear. Kate's sobs were unrelenting, though, and he wondered how long it had been since she'd allowed herself to grieve properly.

Considering he was holding someone as utterly heartbroken as Kate, Rick thought he was doing fairly well. But when Kate began to desperately cry out "Mama" between her sobs, he felt tears spring to his eyes. He had to hold himself together. So he began to speak.

"Once, there lived a beautiful princess," he started. "Her hair was the color of pumpkins; her eyes as blue as clear water. Everywhere she went, the people admired her, calling her the most beautiful lady in the land." Kate was still sobbing, but he continued, his head directly next to hers. "They didn't know, though, that this beautiful princess was hiding something. She had a great secret. The princess was a trained ninja, who disguised herself and protected the townspeople from all sorts of evil. Her name was Prinja."

He pressed on, describing Prinja's first encounter with a dragon, who was trying to destroy the town in a blaze of fire. Kate's sobs gradually decreased, and as he reached the climax of the story, she was merely sniffling. "And Prinja stood on the dragon's snout, defiantly looking him in the eyes," he regaled dramatically.

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, when she spoke. "Then what?" Kate whispered softly.

Kate had finally come around. Castle grinned, beginning to speak more animatedly. "Then, with an epic ninja kick, she hit him directly between the eyes, in his weak spot. He fell to the ground, dead. But as the dragon fell, Prinja also began to fall. She screamed as she fell through the air. She was terrified. But strong arms caught her before she hit the ground, and she realized that her father, the king, had just saved her life. He looked her in the eyes and said, 'I'll always be here to catch you, baby girl.'"

He paused, his story finished. "The dragon story is Alexis' favorite," he said slowly. Every detail about Prinja, from her looks to her adoring father, had been written with Alexis in mind. But there was a resemblance to Kate's story, too, and he wanted her to understand.

"Prinja doesn't have a mother, either," Kate whispered, making the connection.

Castle nodded. "Right," he affirmed. That had been the first meaning of his story. There was a second, very important thing that he wanted Kate to know, but he didn't trust her to make the connection on her own. He had to tell her.

He gently placed a hand under Kate's chin, lifting it up so that she was looking into his eyes. "I'll always be here to catch you, Kate," he said softly. "Always. I promise."

A smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth. She gazed into his eyes for a moment, almost as if she were trying to judge his sincerity. When she spoke, her voice was clear and strong.

"I believe you," she said. Castle grinned, enveloping her in an embrace. They sat in silence for a few seconds, then Kate spoke again.

"Castle?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me another story?" she asked hopefully, a pleading look in her eyes.

Castle chuckled. "Those silly townspeople just didn't get it," he started. "They always managed to get themselves in trouble. Good thing they had Prinja to take care of them."

Kate grinned and lowered her head, snuggling herself into his chest, her ear pressed against his heart. He tightened his arms around her small frame, his palm protectively on her shoulder, and dove into the story.

Time escaped from them, and all that seemed to matter were each other and Prinja's latest adventure. He added wild embellishments, just to hear her laugh, and laugh she did, keeping her head continuously pressed against his chest. Only when Alexis came into the kitchen, asking about lunch, did Castle realize how much time had passed. Kate immediately sat up when she heard Alexis' voice, pulling herself away from Castle. He looked at her, a silent question in his eyes.

"I'm fine," she said quietly, a smile gradually appearing on her face.

She might be fine now, but Rick knew that she'd fall again. And he'd make sure that he was there to catch her.

* * *

><p>It was 10:00 PM. Alexis was in bed, Castle was in his study, writing, and Kate was laying on the couch in the living room, alone with her thoughts. Today had been such a <em>weird<em> day. She had cycled through every possible emotion, from giddiness to apathy to bone-crushing sadness. The events and emotions of the day had left her completely exhausted, yet she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep yet. Her brain was still active, thoughts flying through it almost faster than she could keep up with.

She hadn't allowed herself to grieve her mother's death in so long. Today's breakdown had been a long time in the making. It was still hard for her to reconcile herself with the fact that she could never again have a conversation with her mom; that her mom would not get to be a part of all of the milestones that Kate had yet to reach in her adult life.

Her first job. Her college graduation. Her wedding. Her first child. Her mother wouldn't be there for any of it.

She missed her mom so much. She missed her dad, too… hell, she missed her family; her old life. And she'd gotten so comfortable here, with Rick, Alexis and Martha, that it made her feel almost as though she'd forgotten her parents. Guilt washed over her, threatening to overwhelm her, and tears sprang to her eyes.

Kate had not allowed herself to think of any of this before, pushing the thoughts away as quickly as they came. Earlier today, she'd been weak, allowing the thoughts to overwhelm her. When she'd broken down in front of Castle, he'd immediately pulled her into his arms, and the steadiness of his heartbeat and gentle rhythm of his voice had soothed her. This time, though, she was alone.

But maybe she didn't have to be alone. He said he'd be there to catch her when she fell. Maybe he could help prevent a fall, too.

* * *

><p>A knock on his office door caused Rick to jump. He'd been so deep in his thoughts, writing a new chapter for <em>Nikki Heat<em>, that he'd completely lost track of time.

"Come in," he called, quickly saving and closing the open document on his desktop computer, just in case it was…

Kate. The moment she opened the door, he could tell that something was wrong. He stood and rushed to her, taking her in his arms and quickly leading her to one of the plush armchairs in front of his desk. He helped her sit, then knelt on the floor in front of her, grasping her hands in his.

"Tell me about it," he said gently, running his thumbs in small circles on her knuckles.

She was silent for a moment, her chin lowered, eyes closed. She finally opened her eyes and took a shaky breath.

"I just feel so guilty," she said, her voice breaking. She paused, but Castle remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I just miss them so much," she finally said, voice quiet. "Both of them. My mom and my dad. And I feel so guilty, because I'm just so _happy _here, and I feel so at home, and I don't want to forget them." She took a deep breath, then began to speak again, her pace gradually quickening.

"I mean, my dad's still here, and I tried to call him last week, but he didn't answer, and I haven't even thought about calling him again since. What kind of person does that make me? That I can just forget about my dad like that? He's still my family, and now you guys are my family, I think, and I have this new job, and everything is just changing so fast, and I just can't handle it. How am I supposed to have two families at once? How am I supposed to balance all of this? How?" She looked at Castle, and he could see the silent plea for help in her tear-filled eyes.

"Kate…" he started, gently squeezing her hands. "Listen to me. You've done so well. Remarkably well, in fact. You've had all of these terrible things happen to you, and you've not let them break you. Your strength amazes me." He paused, allowing the truth of his words sink in. "And it's okay to break down sometimes, or to feel happy. You're not desecrating your mom's memory, or disrespecting your dad, by being happy."

Kate sniffed. "Then why do I feel like I am?" she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"That's natural, Kate," Rick said gently. "It's a part of the grieving process."

"How would you know?" Kate asked bitterly, not meeting his eyes.

She was defensive, and rightfully so. He sighed. "My grandfather died when I was a kid," Castle admitted. "He and I were really close. I never knew who my dad was, so Gramps was like a father to me." Kate slowly raised her head, the look in her eyes softer as she met Castle's gaze.

"About a week after his death, I went to a friend's birthday party," Castle continued. "I had so much fun. I laughed and played and joked and completely forgot that I was supposed to be sad. And when I got home that night, I felt guilty, because I felt like I'd forgotten about Gramps. But you know what? It's been nearly twenty-five years, and I still haven't forgotten Gramps. And I never will."

Rick rarely talked about his grandfather, because it sometimes still hurt when he did. He would always miss his grandfather. He could relate to what Kate was going through, though, and he wanted her to know it. He raised one of his hands to her face, gently wiping the tears from her cheek.

"It's okay to be happy, Kate," he said softly. "From what you've told me about your mom, she was a wonderful, fun-loving woman. She'd want you to be happy."

Kate didn't respond immediately, but pressed her lips together tightly and tilted her chin slightly upward, her eyes looking to the ceiling. "My mom always said that if you look up, you won't cry," she said apologetically, a hint of laughter in her voice.

Castle smiled. "Does it work?" he asked.

Kate was silent for a moment, then finally lowered her chin. "Not really," she answered as she wiped a tear from her cheek, causing Castle to laugh.

"I promise you, she'd want you to be happy. And she'd be proud of you, Kate," Rick said gently. "You know that."

Kate looked at him, eyes filled with sorrow. "Yeah, maybe," she whispered.

"Maybe?" Rick said incredulously. "Come on, Kate. Give yourself some credit here. You got yourself off the streets and got a full-time job. _I'm _proud of you, and I've only known you about a week. So I know your mom would be proud of you."

Kate was silent, her lips pressed together again. She took a shaky breath. "You're right," she finally said with a small grin. "She probably would have said, 'You go, girl.'"

Castle smiled. "And your dad? What would he say?"

He watched as Kate's face crumbled. _Damn_, he'd said the wrong thing. "Kate, I'm sor—"

"He'd probably be too drunk to care," Kate interrupted, the bitterness in her voice almost palpable. "Just like he was when I told him I'd been evicted."

There was no good way to respond to that. She'd been hurt, and he could see the pain reflected in her eyes. Kate felt betrayed by her father, and his heart ached for her again.

"A father is never too drunk to love his daughter," he said gently. "Trust me, I would know… okay, well, it's not like I get drunk a lot," he added quickly, realizing how his statement had sounded. "But I like to drink on occasion, you know, and sometimes I just get caught up in the moment, and I'm just digging my own grave right now, aren't I?" he finished lamely, amused by the look Kate was shooting him. How a 19-year-old girl could scold him without saying a single word, he'd never know.

"Really, though," he said, feeling sheepish. "A father never stops loving his daughter, no matter how drunk he is. And it's never too late for a phone call from your daughter with good news," he added, gesturing toward the phone on his desk.

Kate thought for a moment. "Not tonight," she said quietly. "I don't think I could right now… I'm just exhausted."

Castle nodded, understanding. "You going to be okay?" he asked. "I can let Alexis keep you company tonight, if that would help. Just a warning, though—she's a sleep cuddler."

Kate grinned shyly. "So am I," she admitted. "And that would help a lot, actually."

Castle smiled, standing. "You go get ready for bed, and I'll bring Alexis to you when you're ready."

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Castle carried a semi-conscious Alexis into Kate's darkened room, where she laid waiting under the covers. Kate pulled the blanket back, and he laid Alexis on the bed beside her. Before he could pull the covers over Alexis, though, the child had found Kate, snuggling into her and wrapping an arm around Kate's waist.<p>

Castle smiled knowingly. "Told you she's a cuddler," he whispered. Kate grinned, draping her arm over Alexis in response.

"Goodnight, Castle" she whispered. "And thank you."

"Always," he answered sincerely, smiling at her as he turned to leave the room.

Kate nodded and closed her eyes, a smile lingering at the corners of her mouth. He was reminding her that he'd always be there for her. She didn't need the reminder, though. He'd been there for her since the moment they'd met, and she trusted that he always would be.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's note: <strong>This chapter took a long time for me to write, so to make it up to you, it's extra long. :) Basically, I got stuck on the ending. I wrote and trashed three different endings of this chapter, because none of them went where I wanted them to go. I finally found something that worked, though (with the help of Cathey, who is amazing, as always). _

_Thank you all so much for reading, and I look forward to your reviews. _


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